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Consolidating the organization, unlocking resources

In his opening remarks, Lieutenant General Le Van Han, Vice President of the Viet Nam-Lao Friendship Association, said that 2025 marked many major developments for the nation, with party congresses at all levels held nationwide toward the 14th National Party Congress. Many historic decisions of strategic significance were issued, opening major turning points in the country’s development process. Viet Nam and Lao also commemorated many important events in 2025. Closely following the general orientation, chapters of the Viet Nam-Lao Friendship Association carried out a wide range of practical and diverse people-to-people diplomacy activities. These activities made important contributions to preserving, consolidating, and strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Viet Nam and Lao. However, Lieutenant General Le Van Han noted that the results achieved were not yet commensurate with the expectations and requirements of the special Viet Nam-Lao relationship in the current period.

He called on delegates to focus discussions on three groups of issues: assessing results, limitations, and solutions to improve the effectiveness of the Association’s activities in the context of organizational mergers; identifying tasks and solutions for the coming period to further promote the role of people-to-people diplomacy; and proposing mechanisms to create more favorable conditions for the Viet Nam-Lao Friendship Association to operate more effectively.

Lieutenant General Le Van Han, Vice President of the Viet Nam-Lao Friendship Association, delivers the opening remarks at the conference. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

At the conference, delegates concentrated on key issues related to consolidating the Association’s organization after mergers, financial mechanisms, and enhancing the substantive nature of people-to-people diplomacy.

Dinh Thi Thanh Truc, Vice President of the Viet Nam-Lao Friendship Association of Da Nang City, said that after the merger with Quang Nam, the locality now has a direct border with Lao, opening up new space for people-to-people diplomacy. The Association has basically consolidated its organization and plans to implement key activities such as homestay programs for Lao students, cultural exchanges, meetings with Vietnamese experts and volunteer soldiers who assisted Lao, and stronger cooperation with localities in southern and central Lao.

Many opinions suggested that the central association should soon issue unified orientations and organizational models, and proposed that the State establish mechanisms to provide stable funding for the regular operations of local associations, given that they do not collect membership fees while membership continues to grow. Some delegates proposed including the model of foster parents and twinning between local Viet Nam–Lao associations in the common orientation for 2026, together with funding support mechanisms to ensure feasibility.

Venerable Thich Tho Lac, Head of the Central Cultural Committee of the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha and abbot of Bang Long Pagoda in Vientiane, said that there are currently 15 Vietnamese pagodas in Lao, serving as centers of religious practice and community culture for overseas Vietnamese and as bridges for friendly exchanges with Lao authorities, clergy, and local people. The Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha advocates promoting cooperation agreements between Buddhist organizations in border provinces of the two countries, while implementing the construction and renovation of the Friendship Pagoda and the Memorial Complex for Viet Nam-Lao Martyrs in Xieng Khouang, aiming to form a cultural and spiritual center with symbolic significance for bilateral relations.

Venerable Thich Tho Lac, Head of the Central Committee for Culture of the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha, speaks at the conference. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Pham Ngoc Hung, Chairman of the Board of Tay Truong Son Company, proposed that the Viet Nam-Lao Friendship Association consider mechanisms to admit Vietnamese enterprises investing in Lao as members, in order to mobilize socialized resources for people-to-people diplomacy programs. He also emphasized the role of businesses in preserving and promoting shared historical and cultural values, including mobilizing resources to restore Thuong Thai Son Temple in Ninh Binh, which worships a Lao princess known as Nhoi Hoa Princess. Hung expressed his hope that Viet Nam–Lao people-to-people diplomacy activities would be implemented in an increasingly concrete, effective, and substantive manner.

People-to-people diplomacy must directly nurture “strategic connectivity”

In his keynote address, President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations Phan Anh Son highly appreciated the efforts, responsibility, and dedication of the leadership, Standing Committee, and Central Executive Committee of the Viet Nam-Lao Friendship Association in a year marked by major fluctuations in the international and regional situation and fundamental domestic changes that directly and indirectly affected bilateral relations. He affirmed that, as one of the 59 member associations of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, the Viet Nam-Lao Friendship Association has always played a particularly important role in the overall people-to-people diplomacy of Viet Nam.

Phan Anh Son, President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, speaks at the conference. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Reviewing the results of 2025, Phan Anh Son highlighted a strategically significant milestone: Viet Nam and Lao established a new framework for bilateral relations with the substance of “great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic connectivity.”

According to him, “strategic connectivity” is a concrete responsibility of people-to-people diplomacy forces in nurturing and deepening bilateral relations. He also stressed the need to maintain proactive posture, strengthen forecasting, and prepare response options for unexpected regional situations; promote breakthroughs in economic, trade, and investment cooperation, especially digital transformation; and pay attention to development models, cadre training, and key and focal projects, particularly strategic infrastructure connectivity projects between the two countries.

Regarding orientations for the coming period, Phan Anh Son proposed that the Viet Nam-Lao Friendship Association continue to consolidate its organization, maintain regular activities of the Executive Committee and Standing Committee, and promptly complete the organization of local associations; and proactively issue documents recommending that local party committees and authorities pay attention to resolving difficulties. He also suggested promoting the role of the Viet Nam–Lao Parliamentary Friendship Group, increasing invitations to Lao parliamentary delegations to visit Viet Nam in flexible forms, and considering this an effective, practical, and long-term channel.

For specific programs, he proposed reviewing and definitively resolving obstacles related to the project of building gratitude houses for Lao families with meritorious service to the Vietnamese revolution; stepping up education on tradition and information and communication, with the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations ready to coordinate the organization of two annual situation briefings for the Central Executive Committee and local associations. In particular, he emphasized the need to pay greater attention to approximately 14,000 Lao students studying in Viet Nam, toward building larger-scale support programs, from scholarships to postgraduate and doctoral training, especially in new technology fields.

Lieutenant General Le Van Han, Vice President of the Viet Nam-Lao Friendship Association, presents Certificates of Merit to collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in Viet Nam - Lao people-to-people diplomacy in 2025. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

On strengthening the Association’s forces, Phan Anh Son suggested making good use of the strengths of the Viet Nam-Lao Parliamentary Friendship Group, expanding the participation of People’s Council members and National Assembly deputies at the local level, and diversifying networks of Lao friends and partners.

At the conference, the Executive Committee voted to relieve seven members of their duties and elected three additional members. On this occasion, the Association presented Certificates of Merit to seven collectives and eleven individuals with outstanding achievements in Viet Nam-Lao people-to-people diplomacy in 2025.

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