Laos PM Siphandone To Undertake Official Visit To Malaysia On Sunday

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 (Bernama) -- The Prime Minister of Laos, Sonexay Siphandone, will undertake an official visit to Malaysia tomorrow, during which he will hold discussions with his Malaysian counterpart, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to deepen cooperation.

In a statement today, Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry said this marks Siphandone first visit to Malaysia since being elected as the Prime Minister in December 2022.

The visit, taking place ahead of the 46th ASEAN Summit, 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit and the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit on May 26 and 27 here, underscores the strong and enduring ties between Malaysia and Laos.

The statement stated that Siphandone will be received by Anwar in an official welcoming ceremony at Perdana Putra Complex, Putrajaya, followed by a bilateral meeting.

“The meeting will focus on the progress of ongoing bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of trade and investment, defence, education, renewable energy, transportation, tourism, capacity building, agriculture and the halal industry.

“The two leaders will also engage in a substantive exchange of views on regional and global developments, with an emphasis on the strategic importance of ASEAN as a cohesive and responsive platform to address shared concerns, particularly in light of emerging geopolitical and geoeconomics challenges,” the statement said.

During the visit, Siphandone will be accompanied by his spouse, Madam Vandara Siphandone, ministers and senior government officials.

In 2024, trade between Malaysia and Laos was registered at USD21.9 million (RM99.7 million), with Malaysia’s exports at USD14.9 million (RM67.8 million) and imports at USD7 million (RM31.9 million).

Malaysia is the fifth largest foreign investor in Laos, with total investments worth USD942 million and 46 registered projects, focusing on sectors such as renewable energy, transport and logistics, telecommunications, construction, banking, and hotel services.

-- BERNAMA