On August 4, 2025, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam, on behalf of the leadership of the Lao’s People Revolutionary Party and Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, comrade Boviengkham Vongdara – Minister of Technology and Communications of Laos – solemnly awarded the Medal of Friendship upon the collective and several individuals of the Viet Nam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC), under the Ministry of Science and Technology of Viet Nam.

The Medal of Friendship is a prestigious decoration bestowed by Laos’ government in recognition of the outstanding, sustained, and effective contributions of the Viet Nam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC) over the past two decades – particularly in supporting the development of national Internet infrastructure and resources in Laos, thereby contributing to the advancement of digital transformation, digital economy, and digital society in the country.

The VNNIC collective and several of the organization’s leaders across different periods were honored to receive the Medal of Friendship, including: Comrade Nguyễn Lê Thúy, Comrade Hoàng Minh Cường, and Comrade Trần Minh Tân – former General Directors of VNNIC; Comrade Lê Ngọc Đức – Chairman of the Governing Board of VNNIC; and Comrade Nguyễn Hồng Thắng – the current Director General of VNNIC.

Comrade Boviengkham Vongdara, Minister of Technology and Communications of Laos, awarded the Medal of Friendship upon the collective of the Viet Nam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC).

Comrade Boviengkham Vongdara solemnly conferred the Medal of Friendship onto the Traditional Flag of the Viet Nam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC).

Comrade Boviengkham Vongdara, Minister of Technology and Communications of Laos, awarded the Medal of Friendship upon individual leaders of the Viet Nam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC) across different periods of its development.

On behalf of the Viet Nam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC), comrade Nguyễn Hồng Thắng expressed his profound gratitude to the Lao’s People Revolutionary Party, Government, and people of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the leadership of the Ministry of Technology and Communications of Laos, as well as relevant agencies. This award doesn’t only serve as a recognition of the 20-year journey of close cooperation, but also a commitment for VNNIC to continue its mission of connection and partnership with counterparts from the Lao Ministry of Technology and Communications in the joint effort to develop digital infrastructure, the Internet, Internet resources, and promote international integration.

Mr. Nguyễn Hồng Thắng, Director General of the Viet Nam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC), delivered a speech of appreciation on behalf of the organization and its leaders across different periods.

Since 2005, VNNIC has established and implemented bilateral cooperation with the Lao National Internet Center (LANIC) and the Lao Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (LTRA) across a wide range of essential areas, including: the delegation and management of the national domain name “.LA”; the national IPv6 deployment; the development of the national DNS system; policy consultation and the establishment of Internet resource management and monitoring systems; consultation on buidling the Internet speed measurement tools in Laos; and the training of high-quality human resources in the field of Internet.

Throughout the course of cooperation, VNNIC has also actively introduced the Lao Internet community to the regional and international Internet community, by inviting representatives from LANIC and LTRA to participate in major events hosted by Viet Nam, such as APNIC 60, the APAC DNS Forum, the VNNIC Internet Conference, and VNIX-NOG.

In 2024, Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between VNNIC and LANIC, LTRA were signed under the witness of leaders from the Ministry of Science and Technology of Viet Nam, and the Ministry of Technology and Communications of Lao, establishing a legal and strategic foundation for a new phase of bilateral cooperation.

In the coming period (2026–2030), VNNIC will continue to serve as a trusted and long-term partner to its Lao counterparts, providing comprehensive support with a focus on developing a national domain name strategy for “.LA”; promoting the adoption of emerging technologies such as RPKI, DNSSEC, and IPv6; and organizing advanced training programs to enhance Internet resource management capacity in Laos.