Vietnam expands security cooperation with Laos and North Korea

Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security and its Lao counterpart met in Da Nang to review and deepen bilateral cooperation on drug prevention and control. Deputy Ministers Nguyen Van Long (Vietnam) and Kongsavath Bounliang (Laos) highlighted the rise of transnational drug networks and pledged to strengthen rapid information exchange, joint investigations, and actions against money‑laundering and cyber‑facilitated drug crimes under a new 2026 cooperation plan and coordination regulations.

In a separate meeting in Pyongyang, Vietnam’s public‑security chief Luong Tam Quang and North Korea’s Public Security Minister Pang Tu‑sop discussed expanding cooperation on law‑enforcement and public‑security matters. They exchanged experiences, agreed to broaden bilateral exchanges, and underscored the growing closeness between Hanoi and Pyongyang following recent high‑level visits and an October summit between the two nations’ leaders.