The effective cooperation between Vietnamese and Lao public security forces has made practical contributions to the integration and development of the two countries, President Truong Tan Sang has said.

Sang made the statement at a reception in Hanoi on August 17 for Lao Minister of Public Security Thongbank Sengaphone who was leading a high-ranking delegation to Vietnam.

The President said that the visit will help strengthen close friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and the two public security forces. Sang said that the forces should actively join hands in building plans for mutual assistance in safeguarding security and maintaining social order, and submit to the two countries’ leaders plans to ensure security for political events to be held in Laos later this year.

For his part, Minister Thongbanh Sengaphone, who is also Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee, affirmed that his ministry will continue working more closely with the Vietnamese partner. Earlier the same day, the Lao minister attended a meeting to mark the 50th anniversary of the the establishment of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic ties, 35 years since the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty and the 67th founding anniversary of the Vietnamese People’s Public Security.

Addressing the meeting, Thongbanh Sengaphone thanked Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security for helping train more than 1,000 security officials and providing technical equipment to the Lao side.