Attending the event were representatives from the Lao Embassy in Vietnam and the Vietnam–Laos Traditional Friendship Liaison Committee, provincial leaders, and officials from various departments and agencies. The ceremony also welcomed 350 delegates, including former Vietnamese volunteer soldiers from Son La who served in Laos and Lao students currently studying in the province.

During the event, participants reviewed the formation and development of the Vietnamese volunteer forces and military experts who supported Laos, and the special friendship and solidarity between the two countries.

On October 30, 1949, the Central Committee of the Indochinese Communist Party decided to establish “Vietnamese military forces assigned to international missions in Laos,” officially named the Vietnamese Volunteer Soldiers. This event marked an important milestone in the development of the Vietnamese military forces in Lao battlefields, affirming the Party’s correct and consistent policy of fulfilling international obligations.

During the resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism, about 400,000 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers took part in missions in Laos.
In their operations, volunteer soldiers and military experts from Son La province made significant contributions to helping Laos build political foundations, establish revolutionary bases, strengthen armed forces, and develop people’s warfare, contributing to the Lao people’s struggle for national liberation.

In recent years, the provincial Liaison Committee of Vietnamese Volunteer Soldiers and Military Experts in Laos has continued to bring together generations of veterans who once served in Laos, supporting one another in improving livelihoods and developing household economies.

On this occasion, the Lao Embassy in Vietnam presented the certificates of merit to one collective and two individuals for their outstanding contributions in supporting Lao students during the 2024-2025 academic year. The committee also presented gifts to Lao students currently studying in Son La province.