A State ceremony marking the completion of the project on increasing and upgrading border makers along the Viet Nam-Laos boundary, Ha Noi, March 16, 2016 - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

PM Nguyen Tan Dung and his Lao counterpart Thongsinh Thammavong attended the event.

PM Dung highlighted that the conclusion of the project is of great significance as it presents high consensus and mutual understanding of the two Parties, States, and peoples and constitutes a vivid symbol of the traditional friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation of the two countries in respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and legitimate benefits, in favour of a borderline of peace, stability, and development.

Mr. Dung underlined that the completion of the project also contributed to making shared borderline complete legally and practically. It also facilitates the management and protection of the border line; promotes the cooperative ties in trade, investment, economic, cultural and tourism exchanges of border localities and people; helps with the maintenance of political security, social safety, national defence, and border security.

On behalf of the Vietnamese Government, PM Dung expressed his gratitude to Lao PM Thongsinh Thammavong, other leaders and people for the close coordination with Viet Nam.

He also praised the great endeavors of the Viet Nam-Laos Joint Committee for Border Marker Planting, relevant ministries, agencies and localities, especially forces which directly involved in the work

The Government chief suggested competent agencies of the two countries work closely to drastically implement the Protocol on Viet Nam-Laos borderline and national border markers and the Viet Nam-Laos Agreement on management regulations of land border and border gates.

The two Governments agreed to develop and perfect socio-economic infrastructure to facilitate border cooperation activities in economics, trade, investment, and tourism.

At the ceremony, Lao PM Thongsinh Thammavong called upon related ministries, agencies, and people of the two countries to contribute to maintaining the border system.

Deputy PM Ho Xuan Son, Chairman of the Viet Nam-Laos Joint Committee for Border Marker Planting presented a report on project implementation. Up to 1,002 markers were planted along 2,340 km of joint border line, (up 4.5 times against the previous project with 199 makers).

On this occasion, under the witness of the two PMs, Vietnamese Deputy PM, FM Pham Binh Minh and Lao FM Thoonglun Sisulith inked two important documents namely the Protocol on borderline and national border markers and the Viet Nam-Laos Agreement on management regulations on border and land border gates between the two Governments./.

By Kim Loan