Over the past year, the parties have implemented seriously and effectively the the agreement between the Border Guard High Command of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence and the Border Guard Department under the General Staff of the Lao People’s Armed Forces. They have coordinated in persuading people on both sides to strictly comply with the protocol on the border line and national border markers between Vietnam and Laos, the agreement on border and land border gate management regulations between Vietnam and Laos signed in 2016; and worked together in managing and firmly protecting territorial sovereignty and national borders.

The two sides have regularly shared information related to border situations; organised 16 bilateral patrols with 317 participants; surveyed and evaluated the situation of landslides in the areas surrounding ​​national border markers No. 144 - 145, and the location for building steps leading to the border marker in the area adjacent to the four provinces. During the year, the Border Guards of Son La and Dien Bien provinces coordinated with and supported Lao authorities in detecting 118 cases with 137 suspects, seizing 55 heroin cakes,182,708 synthetic drug pills, 2.99 kg of meth, 3.392 kg of opium resin, six guns, five bullets and many other objects.

In the year, the Border Guard Commands of Son La and Dien Bien have helped build facilities for Laos, with a total value of 292 million VND (12,000 USD); and maintained the programme “Nang buoc em den truong” (Helping children to go to school), giving support to eight children living in difficult circumstances in the border areas of Luang Prabang and Phongsaly provinces.

At the talks, the two sides agreed to carry out several tasks in the coming time, with focus on continuing to thoroughly grasp and implement the border guard cooperation agreement between the Border Guard High Command under the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence and the Border Guard Department under the General Staff of the Lao People's Armed Forces. They also pledged to enhance the exchange of information related to crime, national border security, and reactionary organisations plotting to sabotage both sides, immigration, free migration and cross-border illegitimate marriage; and maintain bilateral border patrol activities following the signed agreements.