Receiving and working with the delegation on the Son La province side, Ms. Trang Thi Xuan, a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Provincial Border Work Steering Committee, leaders of provincial departments, branches, districts, and the town.

Participating in the working delegation of Luang Prabang province were Mr. Bun Luong-Ma Ni Vong, a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, Deputy Governor, Head of the Border Delegation of Luang Prabang province, Lao PDR, and members who are leaders of departments, branches, units, and the Border Delegation of Luang Prabang province.

Delegates from Luang Prabang province attended the Conference.

At the Conference, Ms. Trang Thi Xuan welcomed Mr. Bun Luom-Ma Ni Vong and the others of the Luang Prabang delegation who visited, worked, and attended the 15th Border Work Conference between Son La and Luang Prabang provinces in Son La province.

Next, the delegates watched a video about the socio-economic development of the province and the results of coordination in various fields between Son La and Luang Prabang provinces. Son La has more than 274 km of border adjacent to Laos. The national border section jointly managed by Son La and Luang Prabang provinces is more than 32 km long, including 13 landmarks, from landmark 145 to landmark 157 and marker post number 152/1. The border area on the Son La side belongs to Muong Leo commune, Sop Cop district, managed and protected by Muong Leo Border Guard Station. Based on the contents agreed with Luang Prabang province at the 14th border work meeting, the Party committees, Government, and mass organizations of Son La province have stepped up propaganda and dissemination of laws, policies, and guidelines of the Party, legal policies of the State, 02 legal documents on the border that the two governments have signed on border work, raising awareness of people in the border area. In addition, the functional agencies of Son La province also focus on the propaganda of laws, raising awareness of people about national solidarity, the responsibility to protect national independence and territorial sovereignty, contributing to maintaining security and order, preventing and combating crimes, and gradually developing the socio-economy of the border area, etc.

At the meeting, delegates of the two provinces discussed the tasks vital to be focused on for coordination in the coming time. In particular, the two provinces continued to direct all levels and sectors to regularly do a good job of disseminating and educating the people (especially the people in the border areas) about the two legal documents on the Vietnam - Laos border signed on March 16, 2016; the guidelines, policies of the Party, and the laws of the State of each side on border work so that the people can understand, grasp and strictly implement them. Actively and proactively coordinate closely with each other in the work of grasping the situation in the border area, regularly exchanging information to promptly resolve and handle arising incidents to stabilize the security and order situation in the border area; build a peaceful, friendly, cooperative and developing Vietnam - Laos border. The two provinces continue to direct the relevant agencies to continue researching and advising on the development of mechanisms to encourage and facilitate businesses of both sides to explore the market and conduct production and business cooperation activities in the border areas of both sides; continue to pay attention to investing in implementing socio-economic development projects in the border areas of the two provinces; continue to maintain regular border meetings as prescribed, etc.

Speaking at the Conference, Ms. Trang Thi Xuan emphasized that over the past years, the special solidarity, friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and mutual assistance between the two provinces of Son La and Luang Prabang have continuously developed in both breadth and depth, achieving many fruitful results in many fields, contributing great to the cause of socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security of each province and each country. She hoped that the two provinces of Son La and Luang Prabang would continue to promote and inherit the results achieved in the past and actively strengthen the solidarity and friendship between the people of the two provinces to build a peaceful, friendly, stable, and developed border.

On behalf of the delegation, Mr. Bun Luom-Ma Ni Vong, Member of the Provincial Standing Committee, Deputy Governor, and Head of the Delegation of the border of Luang Prabang Province, thanked the leaders of Son La Province for taking the time to receive and work with the delegation. He affirmed that the Party Committee, government, and people of the ethnic groups of Luang Prabang province will actively and unanimously strengthen the building of a close-knit, friendly relationship between the people of Son La - Luang Prabang provinces for further friendship, stability, and development.

At the conference, Son La and Luang Prabang signed the minutes of the 15th border meeting between Son La province of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the delegation of Luang Prabang province of the Lao PDR.

On this occasion, leaders of Son La Province and Luang Prabang Province presented each other with meaningful souvenirs.

Huong Diep

Translated by Tuan Minh Dang