Hanoi, Vietnam – In a step towards strengthening their clerical and archival cooperation, Vietnam and Laos have embarked on a comprehensive program to enhance the training of personnel and the exchange and valorization of archival documents. The State Records and Archives Department of Vietnam and the National Archives Department of Laos have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that reaffirms their long-standing friendship and commitment to mutual development in the archival sector.

Under the 2024 cooperation plan, the two departments will intensify their collaborative efforts in training archival staff. The State Records and Archives Department of Vietnam is set to organize internships for a delegation of 20 Lao archival officials from the National Archives Department and the Interior Ministries of various Lao provinces. Additionally, the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training is expected to continue accepting and training three Lao bachelor's degree students and one master's degree student in archival studies, funded by the annual aid budget from the Vietnamese government to Laos.

The partnership also aims to enhance the exchange and sharing of archival information and organize activities to promote the value of archival documents in both countries. Leadership from both sides will meet alternately to discuss the implementation of the signed cooperation plan and to deliberate on the content of subsequent plans.

Mr. Dang Thanh Tung, the head of Vietnam's State Records and Archives Department, emphasized the significance of the 2024 cooperation plan in reaffirming the enduring friendship and collaborative development between the archival agencies of Vietnam and Laos. He noted that despite the challenges posed by various external factors in recent years, the cooperative activities had not fully reflected the close and traditional relationship between the two archival institutions.

The MoU for the 2024 cooperation plan lays the groundwork for the State Records and Archives Department of Vietnam and the National Archives Department of Laos to carry out bilateral cooperative activities in the coming year, setting the stage for new achievements in the archival cooperation between Vietnam and Laos. The signing ceremony solidifies the commitment of Vietnam's archival department to collaborate, share, and support the National Archives Department of Laos in overcoming difficulties and fulfilling their respective functions and missions, as well as to foster the long-standing cooperative relationship between the two nations.

Thongchanh Keosenhom highlighted the invaluable assistance provided by the State Records and Archives Department of Vietnam and the Vietnamese government to the National Archives Department of Laos, particularly in building the national archives repository, training staff, exchanging professional documents, and facilitating participation in significant international archival conferences. These practical and vivid examples of cooperation have contributed not only to the implementation of internal affairs cooperation but also to the development of the traditional friendship between the two countries.

In 2024, both departments will continue to propose to the Lao and Vietnamese governments to support the funding required to carry out archival work, especially in the area of training local and departmental archival staff, to ensure the successful execution of their collaborative endeavors.