Vietnam and Laos have held talks in Luang Prabang province, Laos, to review the joint efforts in searching for remains of Vietnamese soldier and expert volunteers killed on duty during wartime in the neighbouring country.

The Vietnamese and Lao special working committees sign an agreement to continue
joint search for remains of Vietnamese martyrs during the dry season of 2019 - 2020.
(Photo: qdnd.vn)

The two countries’ special committees for the work met on July 2 with the Vietnamese side led by Vice Minister of Defence Senior Lieutenant General Le Chiem and the Lao side by Lieutenant General Thongloi Silivong, Deputy Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Lao People’s Army’s General Department of Politics.

At the talks, the two sides spoke highly of the results of their cooperation in the search during the dry season of 2018 – 2019. 

Thanks to Laos’ constant and effective support, Vietnam has found and repatriated 230 sets of remains, three of which have been identified.

The two sides have also published a book and release a documentary on the joint effort in the search, collection and repatriation of the remains between 1994 and 2016.

In the dry season of 2019 – 2020, they agreed to continue their mission with the Vietnamese side maintaining eight search teams in different cities and provinces of Laos.

Lao military agencies at all levels will continue sending local staff to support the Vietnamese search teams and encourage local people to provide information about the burial sites of Vietnamese martyrs.