Delegations from all six members of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), including Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam participated in the third friendship border exchange program in Vietnam's Hanoi capital on Saturday evening.
During the exchange program, with the presence of Vietnam's top legislator Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, heads of the delegations focused on reviewing regional cooperation for better management of border areas and for better life of people in the areas, and discussed measures for closer friendship and cooperation.
The exchange program is of importance because it has helped regional countries better understand one another, and strengthen friendship and cooperation on preventing and combating cross-border crimes, dealing with non-traditional security threats, and managing border areas more effectively, said Gao Lianbin, deputy chief of the Border Control Department under the Chinese Ministry of Public Security.
Border guard forces of regional countries, especially between the forces of China and Vietnam should maintain their cooperation at the three central, provincial and border area levels, and take more concrete measures to ensure security, stability and development of border areas and meet aspirations of people, he stressed.
Hoang Xuan Chien, commander of the Border Guard High Command under the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, said the Vietnamese government attaches importance to fostering friendship and cooperation with GMS members, especially on facilitating cross-border movement of people and goods, preventing and fighting against cross-border crimes like drug and human trafficking.
Addressing the exchange program, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, chairwoman of Vietnam's National Assembly, the country's top legislator, called for GMS members to bolster multifaceted cooperation, especially on security and defense to build border lines of peace, stability and development.
The program also featured many spectacular art performances by artists from Cambodia, China, Laos and Vietnam.
