The Vietnamese delegation was led by Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Gau, Deputy Minister of National Defence and head of Viet Nam’s Special Working Committee, while the Lao side was headed by Senior Lieutenant General Vongsone Inpanphim, Deputy Minister of National Defence and head of Laos’ Special Working Committee.
Reviewing cooperation during the 2025–2026 dry season, both sides described coordination as close and effective despite increasingly limited information on burial sites and the difficult terrain of remote mountainous areas.
During the latest search campaign, Vietnamese recovery teams located and repatriated the remains of 173 volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Laos.
Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Gau said Viet Nam remained committed to continuing the mission until there was no further information available on burial locations. He noted that, under the Government’s nationwide “500 Days and Nights” campaign to accelerate the search, recovery and identification of fallen soldiers, 1,491 sets of remains had been recovered across the country, including 173 in Laos.
The two sides agreed to maintain eight Vietnamese recovery teams operating in Laos during the 2026–2027 dry season while intensifying public awareness campaigns and encouraging local communities, particularly war veterans, to provide information on burial sites. Laos also pledged to continue directing local authorities and military units to support Vietnamese teams throughout their operations.
On behalf of the Prime Minister, the Vietnamese side presented financial assistance for 2026 to the Lao Government’s Special Working Committee and relevant localities to support search, recovery and repatriation activities.
