Outstanding efforts by members of a team responsible for planting of marker poles at the border between the country and Vietnam have received recognition, with awards presented by the nation’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Saleumxay Kommasith.
The nation’s government has awarded departments, divisions, units and individuals at a ceremony that took place yesterday in Vientiane.
On the Lao side, successful border marker planting involved cooperative efforts between 15 departments, divisions and units of some 360 individuals.
All 15 departments, divisions and units, and 11 individual officials received the nation’s Second Class Issara Orders while another 102 officials received Third Class Issara Orders.
A further 124 individuals received Second Class Labour Orders, 98 received Third Class Labour Orders and 25 more officials receive Labour Medals.
Laos and Vietnam share borders of some 2,340 km, much of it being mountainous and rugged terrain of the Annamite Range.
As a result of significant efforts, some 1,002 marker poles have been planted, an average of one marker pole every 2.6km.
Survey and border marker pole planting between the two countries began in 1987 based on the Laos-Vietnam agreement on border line determination dated July 18, 1977.
The first border marking effort concluded in 1997 with 214 marker poles having been planted at have average interval of 10 km. Some intervals between markers were as much 40 km, leaving unresolved difficulties in the cooperative protection and management of border areas.
The deterioration of 1987-1997 era border marker poles was cited as another reason for the renewed effort.
The leaders of Laos and Vietnam reached consensus in 2003 on the plan to place additional marker poles and repair or replace existing poles.
The installation of additional boundary markers into between existing ones and maintaining the border line began in 2008 and was completed this year.
The effort is expected to help address the challenges and conditions, and facilitate improved cross-border cooperation in socio-economic development.
The completion sees one boundary marker pole every 2.6 km of the 2,340 km border line.
Laos has ten provinces located along the border it shares with Vietnam, while Vietnam also has ten provinces located along the border line with Laos.
In his address at the ceremony, Minister Saleumxay noted the significance of border and marker poles, which he said represented national sovereignty.
He called on the authorities of the ten provinces to implement strict manage ment of the border.
Mr. Saleumxay stressed the need for regular patrols and inspections at the border to prevent illicit crossings, logging, non-timber forest harvesting, mining, and other violations in border areas.
He said the success in border marking should facilitate livelihood improvements among people living in the areas proximate, pointing to the importance of building people’s awareness on the importance of the border, concepts of nationhood and associated legal matters.
Source: Vientiane Times
