Deputy Minister of Public Security Lieutenant General Pham The Tung, leading a delegation of the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam, attended the conference.
On the guest’s side, Member of the Lao Party Central Committee and Deputy Minister of Public Security Senior Lieutenant General Kongthong Phongvichit headed a delegation of Lao MPS to attend the conference.
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| Overview of the conference. |
The annual conference between the security forces of the two countries is of great strategic significance as it provides orientations for cooperation between the two countries’ Ministries of Public Security in the coming period, contributing to strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in general, and between the two countries’ public security forces in particular.
The conference also aims to strengthen collaboration between the two countries’ public security forces in safeguarding political security and ensuring social order and safety in each country, contributing to creating favorable conditions for each country to promote its national development and implement defense tasks as well as foster a peaceful, stable and prosperous ASEAN Community.
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| Deputy Minister Pham The Tung speaks at the conference. |
At the conference, two head delegates unanimously agreed that over the past year, the security forces and police departments of provinces and centrally-run cities along the shared borderline maintained close coordination and effectively implemented the Memorandum of the 14th Vietnam–Laos Security Cooperation Conference in the fields of internal political security, cultural security, information security, economic security, and cybersecurity.
Meanwhile, the two sides also strengthened coordination in ensuring border security, effectively managed immigration activities through border gates along the shared borderline as well as enhanced cooperation in capacity building of the two countries’ law enforcement forces and promoting delegation exchanges at all levels.
Regarding orientations for the bilateral cooperation in the coming time, the two sides agreed to continue to effectively implement the current cooperation mechanisms between the two countries’ security forces, while highlighting the mission of safeguarding national security of each country as a top priority in bilateral cooperation.
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| Deputy Minister Kongthong Phongvichit speaks at the conference. |
The two sides also committed to enhancing information sharing between public security units and agencies to promptly advise the leadership of the two ministries on policies and measures to prevent and neutralize emerging security threats and all types of crime.
The two sides pledged to strengthen coordination in addressing non-traditional security threats, particularly cyber fraud as well as in the border management work so as to ensure security and order along the shared borderline.
Both sides also reached consensus on expanding cooperation in investigating and dismantling illegal criminal networks involved in the trafficking of weapons, explosives, and support tools, while joining efforts to settle complex security-related issues along the shared borderline, particularly those related to ethnic minority communities.
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| Two head delegates sign Memorandum of 15th Vietnam–Laos Security Cooperation Conference. |
Furthermore, the two sides agreed to maintain close coordination and mutual support at international and regional forums, promote cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts within ASEAN member states, and work together to ensure security for major events held in Laos and Vietnam, especially during high-level visits of one country’s top leaders to the other.
At the end of the conference, Deputy Minister Pham The Tung and his counterpart Kongthong Phongvichit signed the Memorandum of the 15th Vietnam–Laos Security Cooperation Conference.