The opening activities of the 2026 Vietnam–Laos Young Border Officers Exchange Program were held in Kim Bang Commune, Nghe An Province, on July 3.
At Thanh Thuy Border Gate, Senior Colonel Nguyen Quoc Hieu, Deputy Director of the Political Department of the Vietnam Border Guard Command under the Ministry of National Defense and Head of the Vietnamese delegation, presided over a welcome ceremony for the Lao young border officers' delegation.
The Lao delegation was led by Senior Colonel Dao-Kay Lot-Li-Van, Deputy Political Commissar and Director of the Political Department of the Lao Border Guard Command under the Ministry of National Defense.
Following the ceremony, delegates from both countries visited Border Marker No. 460, where they planted a friendship tree line and a youth friendship flower garden. The activity is to enhance the border landscape while symbolizing the solidarity and close ties between the two countries' border protection forces.
The young officers then participated in a three-kilometer cross-border run, starting at Thanh Thuy Border Gate, crossing into Laos through Nam On Border Gate before returning to the starting point. The event attracted enthusiastic support from border guards and local residents on both sides of the border, creating a lively and friendly atmosphere.
The outdoor activities concluded with a friendly volleyball match between the young officers of the two countries.
The events formed a highlight of the third Vietnam–Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange, contributing to stronger professional exchanges and closer coordination in border management and protection, combating transnational crime, and building a peaceful, stable and prosperous border area.
