Việt Nam, Laos to push ahead with seeking, repatriating martyrs’ remains

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence  Sen. Lt. Gen. Võ Minh Lương (right) and his Lao counterpart Sen. Lt. Gen. Thongloi Silivong exchanged minutes of the 27th meeting between the two countries’ special commitees on Wednesday in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Khu

HCM CITY — Việt Nam and Laos are going to push ahead with the search for and repatriation of the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who lost their lives performing duties in the neighbouring country.

The agreement was reached at the 27th meeting of the two countries’ special committees, led by the Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence  Sen. Lt. Gen. Võ Minh Lương and his Lao counterpart Sen. Lt. Gen. Thongloi Silivong, in HCM City on Wednesday.

They shared the view that despite limited information about burial places and the complex COVID-19 situation, positive results have been recorded in the search for and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts killed in Laos during different wartime periods.

As information about burial places is little and not very accurate, the two committees and all-level authorities in the countries should work more closely with each other to encourage Vietnamese and Lao people to share information about martyrs and graves and improve the effectiveness of search and repatriation activities.

The officers worked out cooperation orientations for the 2022-23 dry season, stressing that they will keep coordination to promote search and repatriation until no more information is left.

They agreed to ramp up communications to raise public awareness of the issue, frequently exchange information, step up search and repatriation, increase examination and assessment, and commend the collectives and individuals with outstanding performance in the task.

Both sides expressed their belief that in the spirit of the Việt Nam – Laos great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation, bilateral coordination to search for and repatriate the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts will achieve the best possible results in the time ahead. — VNS