The event coincides with the celebration of 55 years of diplomatic ties and the 40^th anniversary of the Friendship and Cooperation Treaty between the two nations.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, Nguyen Thị Hai Nhung, head of the department of culture, tourism and sports, said the festival aims to introduce and promote tourism and cultural heritage of ethnic minorities along Viet Nam-Laos border to domestic and international friends.

It is also expected to help preserve and promote ethnic identities in the context of innovation, development and global integration, she added.

“Through its diverse activities, the festival will confirm the solidarity between Viet Nam and Laos that has existed for generations, the comprehensive mutual co-operation as well as the consistent policy of fostering the two nations’ special relationship,” she said.

The event will include musical performances, shows featuring traditional costumes, traditional rituals, cultural products, food, images of Vietnamese people and lands, sports and tours around Son La City.

The festival also features an award ceremony, with 88 medals to be presented to Lao officials by the Vietnamese government on July 5 and an inauguration ceremony for an area of Viet Nam-Lao historical and revolutionary relics located in Lao Kho Village in the province the following day.

Artists and athletes from nine Vietnamese provinces and ten Laos provinces which share the border are expected to participate in the event.

The Viet Nam-Laos cultural, sports and tourism festival is held every five years by Viet Nam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and other organisations. The first event was held in the central province of Ha Tinh in 2012.

Viet Nam shares more than 2,100km of land border with Laos.