To date, Điện Biên has signed memoranda of understanding on cooperation with five northern Lao provinces. Based on these agreements, numerous practical cooperation activities have been carried out in areas such as people-to-people diplomacy, economics, education, healthcare, culture, sports, and national defense and security, further bolstering the special Vietnam-Laos relationship.

One of the highlights of this partnership is people-to-people diplomacy. Authorities from both sides have facilitated exchanges between social organizations and local residents to share economic development experiences and learn about each other’s cultures and traditions. The “village-to-village” twinning model along the border has become a unique cultural symbol of unity.

Currently, eight Lao village clusters are twinned with Vietnamese villages in Điện Biên, fostering borderless community bonds. As Lò Văn Xôm from Mường Lói commune, Điện Biên district, shared: “Though we belong to different nations, we are like family. We often apply for permits to visit each other, share farming knowledge, and cooperate to maintain peaceful borders.”

In parallel, economic cooperation has also flourished. Trade promotion activities and product showcases between Điện Biên and three Lao provinces of Phongsaly, Oudomxay, and Luang Prabang have shown impressive results. Since August 2022, the total import-export turnover between the two sides has exceeded USD 140 million, with imports from Laos accounting for over USD 50 million.

In agriculture and forestry, Điện Biên has provided technical support and production advice to agricultural centers in the three Lao provinces. Since 2022, the province has allocated VND 2.49 billion to implement model projects such as macadamia cultivation, fish farming, poultry raising, and veterinary medicine cabinets, helping to transfer technology and improve livelihoods.

Chu Thị Thanh Xuân, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, noted that Điện Biên has sent experts to Laos to assist in piloting macadamia cultivation. In Luang Prabang, Điện Biên staff are helping residents care for 6.5 hectares of macadamia trees planted in Viengkham and Phonthong districts since 2023. Plans to plant 10 more hectares in Oudomxay and Phongsaly are currently underway, with 50% of planting pits already dug and expected to be completed by May-June 2025.

Human resource development is another priority. Every year, Điện Biên grants scholarships to 90 students and officials from northern Lao provinces to study in local institutions and at Tây Bắc University. The province also organizes political theory training courses and practical workshops for Lao officials, each accommodating about 30 participants.

In healthcare, the two sides cooperate in disease prevention, especially in border areas. Medical teams regularly exchange experience in personnel training, hospital management, and equipment supply, enhancing public health services in border communities.

Cultural, sports, and tourism cooperation is also expanding. Both sides have co-organized tourism promotion events and destination surveys and plan to launch a cycling tour route from Thailand through Laos to Vietnam in 2025. Điện Biên frequently invites delegates from northern Lao provinces to major cultural events such as the Vietnam-Laos Border Cultural, Sports and Tourism Festival and the Ban (Bauhinia) Flower Festival.

To ensure national defense and security, both sides strictly enforce border management agreements, conduct joint patrols, and closely coordinate in addressing public security concerns. Judicial cooperation has also progressed, with regular exchanges among the two sides’ Departments of Justice, People’s Procuracies, and Courts. These efforts enhance mutual legal assistance and strengthen crime prevention. Importantly, both sides focus on legal education among border communities to promote compliance with national laws and border regulations.

Trần Quốc Cường, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, affirmed: “The great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, cultivated by Presidents Hồ Chí Minh and Kaysone Phomvihane and generations of revolutionary leaders, is a priceless asset of our two nations. It forms a solid foundation for Điện Biên to further deepen its cooperation with the northern provinces of Laos.”

Indeed, the resilient and growing partnership between Điện Biên and its Lao neighbors stands as a sacred symbol of unwavering loyalty and kinship, a testament to the enduring strength of the Vietnam-Laos bond.