Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith arrived in Phnom Penh on Monday morning to kick off his official visit to Cambodia in response to an invitation by his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sento to enhance the longstanding friendly relations and cooperation between Laos and Cambodia.

A welcoming ceremony for Prime Minister Thongloun, his spouse, and delegation of senior officials was hosted in Phnom Penh by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

At a bilateral meeting between the two Prime Ministers and their respective delegations, the Cambodian Prime Minister congratulated Prime Minister Thongloun on his appointment to the post and said that he highly valued his visit to Cambodia.

The Cambodian Prime Minister noted that Mr Thongloun’s appointment to the post represented the trust given to him by the Party, government and people of the Lao PDR.

In response, Prime Minister Thongloun expressed thanks to the government and people of Cambodia for the warm welcome that was extended to he and his delegation during his first visit to the country since his appointment to the post.

Both sides noted that the bilateral cooperation between the two countries has been strengthened constantly, especially through the exchange of visits at all levels, including the visit to Laos by King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia in 2015 where both sides signed several agreements.

Both sides expressed satisfaction on the progress the two countries have made in border demarcation as they have completed the majority of planned demarcation activities and agreed to urge relevant sectors in their respective countries to continue to address unresolved issues related to border demarcation in the spirit of fraternalism and neighbourliness.

They informed each other of achievements in socio-economic development in their respective countries over the past years and the direction of cooperation for years to come.

Each side highlighted the mutual support and cooperation in various areas the two countries have maintained and promoted over the past years which has brought concrete benefits to the people of the two countries.

Both sides highly valued the efforts made by the two countries in enhancing the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries in the spirit of good neighbours between the people of the two countries, which consequently enhances the solidarity and understanding of cooperation for development in the ASEAN family.

In the afternoon of the same day, Prime Minister Thongloun also laid a wreath at Independence Monument and King Norodom Sihanouk’s statue to pay respect for the deeds and sacrifices made by brave soldiers and the ancestors of the Cambodian people.