(KPL) Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, accompanied by his spouse and a high-level delegation, paid an official visit to Thailand on February 20, 2025, in response to an invitation from Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

The visit aimed to further strengthen and expand the longstanding relations and good neighborly cooperation between the two countries, which have enjoyed a close and strategic partnership for sustainable growth and development over the past 75 years.

Following a warm and dignified official welcoming ceremony at the Government House, the two Prime Ministers and their delegations held an official bilateral meeting to review the progress of bilateral relations and cooperation over the years. Both sides highly valued the fruitful and growing Laos-Thailand friendship and cooperation, which has expanded across all sectors through various cooperation mechanisms at both central and local levels.

The two governments agreed to continue promoting exchanges and visits at high-level and local levels to create favorable conditions for enhancing bilateral relations in the future. This includes cooperation in addressing issues affecting the stability of both countries, such as combating transnational crimes—particularly drug trafficking and cybercrime—as well as jointly resolving cross-border haze pollution.

Both sides also emphasized the need to accelerate efforts to demarcate the land border, which has currently been surveyed and marked at 93% completion, with 7% remaining in 14 areas. For the water border, they agreed to develop a master plan and technical terms of reference (TOR) as a basis for conducting surveys and marking the water border in the future.

Additionally, both sides agreed to create favorable conditions to enhance trade, investment, and connectivity to achieve more concrete results. This includes the development of transportation infrastructure, such as roads, railways, and bridges, including the construction of the 5th Laos-Thailand Friendship Bridge, set to be completed in 2025, the Champasak-Nakhon Phanom Bridge, a railway bridge, and the development of Route 12 to connect the East-West Economic Corridor. 

Both sides also agreed to enhance power grid connectivity, improve customs coordination, and address trade barriers while promoting investment in goods production, import-export—particularly of agricultural products and fuel—and other sectors.

Furthermore, they agreed to continue enhancing cooperation in development, education, public health, agriculture, natural resources, environment, tourism, justice, labor, and other areas. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

On this occasion, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and was pleased to meet Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra again, following their previous meeting in Vientiane during her official visit to Laos and participation in the ASEAN Summits and related meetings in October 2024. He also expressed his appreciation to the Thai government and people for their cooperation and support to Laos, particularly during Laos' successful ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024.

In response, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed her warm welcome and high appreciation for the visit, which holds significant meaning as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Laos and Thailand in 2025. She reaffirmed Thailand's commitment to continue supporting and cooperating with Laos to further enhance the longstanding good neighborly relations and strategic partnership for sustainable growth and development between the two countries.

Following the meeting, the two Prime Ministers witnessed the signing of four documents: a Technical Agreement on Passenger Rail Transport between the Lao National Railway Enterprise and the State Railway of Thailand; an Annual Action Plan for 2025-2027 to implement the Memorandum of Understanding on Judicial and Legal Cooperation between the Ministry of Justice of Laos and the Ministry of Justice of Thailand; a Memorandum of Understanding between the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Joint Committee on Trade, Industry, and Banking Cooperation of Thailand; and A Memorandum of Understanding on Academic Cooperation between Souphanouvong University of Laos and Mae Fah Luang University of Thailand.

The two Prime Ministers also attended the official launch of the logo commemorating the 75th anniversary of Laos-Thailand diplomatic relations, delivered a press statement on the outcomes of their bilateral meeting, and addressed the Laos-Thailand Business Forum. They later paid a courtesy call to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn of the Kingdom of Thailand.

KPL