On behalf of the VBS, Venerable Thich Minh Quang, head monkof the Phat Tich Pagoda in Vientiane, handed over the essential goods at theceremony.
Venerable Thich Minh Quang saidthe amount of goods is half of the totalworth 120 million LAK (11,846 USD) donated by Vietnamese Buddhist followers to Laos this time, with the remaining earmarked for Luang Prabang province.
Most Venerable Bounma Simaphome, acting president of the Lao Buddhist Coalition Central Committee, thanked the VBS as well as the Vietnamese Buddhistsin Laos for having supported and shared the difficulties with Lao monks,especially in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said this is the second time this year, the VBS has grantedthe assistance for Lao Buddhists given Laos’ prolonged lockdown orders. Thisreflects the special friendship and solidarity between the two sanghas and thetwo nations, he affirmed.
Earlier, on October 18, the first half of the VBS donationwas presented to Lao monks in Luang Prabang, which houses many ancient pagodas./.