(KPL) Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and his visiting Thai counterpart Srettha Thavisin attended the opening ceremony of the Khamsavath Railway Station in Vientiane on the Laos-Thailand railway during his paying an official visit to Laos on October 30.

The Thai PM and his delegation arrived in Vientiane on Monday for an official visit to Laos in response to an invitation by Premier Sonexay. It is the first visit to Thailand’s eastern neighbour by Mr Srettha following his recent appointment as the Prime Minister of Thailand.

The visit aimed to strengthen the longstanding relations and close cooperation between Laos and Thailand.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Minister of Public Works and Transport, Mr Ngampasong Muongmany, said that the Laos-Thailand Phase II railway construction project has received a low interest loan and assistance amounting to 1,650 million baht, (70% of investment is loan and 30% is assistance) from the Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency (NEDA).

The construction project of the Laos-Thailand Railway Phase II stretches 7.5 km from Thanaleng Station to Khamsavath Railway Station. The construction work started in 2019 and completed in June 2022.

The two prime ministers presided over a ceremony to mark the completion of a friendship park and an agricultural learning centre based on the sufficiency principles of King Rama IX. The two ceremonies mark the 70th anniversary of Thai-Laos diplomatic ties.

On behalf of the Lao government and people, Dr Sonexay thanked the government and people of Thailand for their support and assistance to Laos, which he said has contributed significantly to socio-economic development.

For his part, PM Srettha expressed his pleasure and gratitude at the warm welcome extended to himself and his delegation and praised the success of the meeting between the two sides.

Thailand will continue to encourage its related sectors and use the results of the meeting to spur development in a more practical way, he said.

KPL