Prime Minister Hun Manet began his first official visit to Laos yesterday during which, as a sign of goodwill, he announced that Cambodia will donate $1 million to Laos as the ASEAN Chair to help it organise this year’s ASEAN Summits successfully.

Mr Hun Manet and his Loatian counterpart Sonexay Siphandone also witnessed the signing of several memorandum of understandings including the one on border demarcation.

Upon arrival at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Mr Hun Manet was greeted by Alounxai Sounnalath, Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune, Deputy Foreign Minister, and Phouvong Vongkhamsao, Deputy Mayor of Vientiane Capital, before being officially welcomed by Sonexay.

Mr Hun Manet was accorded a grand red carpet welcome complete with honour guards.

At the invitation of the Laotian Prime Minister, Mr Hun Manet is leading a high-level delegation to pay an official visit to Laos to further deepen the bilateral relations in the spirit of good neighbourliness, traditional friendship and comprehensive and long-term strategic partnership.

On the first day of his visit, he also laid wreath at the Unknown Soldier Monument yesterday in Vientiane.

Mr Hun Manet then met with Sonexay in a bilateral meeting.

Speaking during a joint press conference yesterday following the meeting, Mr Hun Manet said the two countries continue to work on remaining demarcation work.

He pledged to donate the $1 million to Laos as ASEAN chair.

Mr Hun Manet also invited Sonexay to attend the Siem Reap-Angkor Summit on a Mine-Free World to be hosted by Cambodia in November.

Sonexay said at the press conference that Laos and Cambodia will further boost good ties, respect each other’s sovereignty and interest.

“[We] continue to discuss and solve the remaining border issue speedily,” Sonexay said, noting that both countries will continue the exchange of visits between national and sub-national officials.

Cambodia and Laos established diplomatic relations on June 15, 1956. Cambodia-Laos relations were elevated as a comprehensive and long-term strategic partnership during the official visit of then Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulit to Cambodia on September 12 and 13, 2019.

Kin Phea, director general of the International Relations Institute of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said yesterday that Mr Hun Manet’s visits will accelerate the remaining demarcation work between both countries.

“I believe the prime ministers of both countries will urge technical working groups of both countries to negotiate and speed up demarcation work,” Phea said.

Cambodia and Laos have so far demarcated 86% of their shared border.

During a visit to Laos in February 2023, then Prime Minister Hun Sen signed a border demarcation treaty with his counterpart.

On February 13, 2023 Cambodia and Laos accepted the results of a joint inspection of 86% of the border line signed by their respective governments, to be used as an important official document for working out the demarcation of the remaining 14%.

• Tags: ASEAN summits, Laos