The Special Task Forces of the Vietnamese and Lao governments convened their 31st meeting in Ho Chi Minh City on July 27 to discuss the ongoing search, recovery, and repatriation of the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Laos during wartime.
The Vietnamese delegation was led by Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Gau, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Minister of National Defense, and Head of the Vietnamese Government's Special Task Force.
Leading the Lao delegation was Senior Lieutenant General Vongsone Inpanphim, Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Chief of the General Political Department of the Lao People's Army, and Head of the Lao Government's Special Task Force.
At the meeting, both sides evaluated the implementation of the agreements reached in the minutes of their 30th session and agreed on the framework and key areas of cooperation for the 2026–2027 dry season.
During the 2025–2026 dry season, Vietnamese search teams recovered the remains of 173 fallen soldiers.
Both sides affirmed that these results were achieved thanks to the close coordination between their respective Special Task Forces and local authorities at all levels.
The Lao side has consistently provided support and assistance to the Vietnamese search teams throughout their operations. Additionally, Lao authorities have actively raised public awareness, encouraging local communities to provide information regarding the burial sites of fallen Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts.
Speaking at the meeting, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Gau highlighted that on March 15, 2026, the National Steering Committee for the Search, Repatriation, and Identification of Fallen Soldiers' Remains launched an intensive campaign dubbed "500 Days and Nights to Accelerate the Search, Recovery, and Identification of Fallen Soldiers' Remains."
In alignment with the campaign's goals, Vietnam will maintain eight search and recovery teams operating in Laos during the 2026–2027 dry season.
The deployment forces are expected to be reinforced and dispatched earlier—around August 2026—to make full use of time and expedite search efforts.
For the 2026–2027 dry season, both sides agreed to continue their close coordination in directing the search, recovery, and repatriation of the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who sacrificed their lives in Laos during wartime.
At the conclusion of the session, authorized by the Prime Minister, the Head of the Vietnamese Government's Special Task Force presented the Vietnamese Government's 2026 financial assistance to its Lao counterpart and local authorities in Laos.
