President Thongloun Sisoulith (R) meets Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Vientiane on June 27

(KPL) President Thongloun Sisoulith received a courtesy call from visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his delegation.

President highly valued the Malaysian premier’s visit and his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and asked the visiting premier to convey warm greetings and amity to His Majesty Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

He spoke highly of the friendship and sound cooperation between the Lao PDR and Malaysia which has grown constantly over the past years as shown in the successful implementation of numerous activities and the regular exchange of visits at various levels.

Cooperation in various areas has grown constantly with bilateral trade enjoying a constant increase. Malaysia’s investment in the Lao PDR has been estimated at 924 million US dollars in 46 projects, ranking Malaysia the fifth largest foreign investor in the country.

The two countries also enjoy a successful cooperation on human resource development and energy with Don Sahong hydropower project has been effective.

The President called on the Malaysian Prime Minister to continue to support human resource development in the Lao PDR and asked both Lao and Malaysian Prime Ministers to continue to promote the cooperation in various areas, increasing bilateral trade to over one billion US dollars.

Both sides also agreed to actively maintain mutual assistance and mutual support at regional and international arenas.

President also expressed on behalf of the government and people of the Lao PDR his thanks to the government and people of Malaysia for their assistance and support to the Lao PDR over the past years which has contributed significantly to the socio-economic development in the Lao PDR, especially in areas of human resource development, and the provision of ODAs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He also invited Malaysian investors and tourists to invest in and visit the Lao PDR, especially in 2024 when the Lao PDR launches Visit Laos Year and resumes its rotary chair of ASEAN.

For his part, the Malaysian Prime Minister expressed thanks to the Lao government and people for their assistance and support to Malaysia at regional and international arenas, and informed the President that his visit to Laos aimed to express Malaysia’s support for the Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship and to further strengthen the friendship and sound cooperation between Malaysia and the Lao PDR.

KPL