President Thongloun Sisoulith is back in Laos after his official state visit to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he participated in several successful discussions with the country’s leaders and attended the opening ceremony of the 32nd SEA Games.
The President went to Cambodia last week after being invited by the King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihamoni. The Lao leader received a royal audience from King Norodom, and also paid respects to the King’s late father, Norodom Sihanouk, at his memorial in Phnom Penh.
During the visit, President Thongloun also met with Cambodia’s prime minister Hun Sen, and the President of the Senate, Say Chhum.
The two nations shared a mutual commitment to further enhance existing bilateral relations, with PM Hun Sen quoting President Thongloun as saying, “Relations between Laos and Cambodia are at the top, but we are united in our commitment to take it to (an) even higher level.
“We intend to implement existing agreements and seek to cooperate further in the areas of tourism, investment, and security. In addition, we are prepared to offer a unified response to natural disasters,” he added.
Both governments agreed to strengthen bilateral relations in various fields, including politics, security, defense, economics, trade, investment, energy, education, and connectivity, reports Vientiane Times.
The two nations also agreed to further enforce anti-tax evasion measures and fast-track talks on a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA). Relevant ministries on both sides were encouraged to effectively implement the Action Plan for 2023-2027 to support the long-lasting and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the Treaty on Delimitation of the State Border between Laos and Cambodia, and other agreements made between the two sides.
On 5 May, the President also attended the opening ceremony of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games at the Morodok Techo National Stadium, which had a live audience of 75,000 people.