Lao PM Sonexay Siphandone to make one-day official visit to Singapore

LAO Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone will make his first official visit to Singapore on Tuesday (Jul 9), at the invitation of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

The one-day visit commemorates 50 years of diplomatic ties between both South-east Asian countries, which first established relations on Dec 2, 1974.

The Lao leader will call on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and PM Wong, who will host a lunch in his honour, said Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on Monday.

As the Istana is undergoing major restoration works, the meeting is due to take place in the Parliament House and the lunch will be held off-site.

Both prime ministers are also expected to witness the signing of two memoranda of understanding between both Asean member states in the areas of carbon credits and education cooperation.

Dr Sonexay, who will be accompanied by ministers and senior officials, is also scheduled to meet Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU

Friday, 8.30 am

Asean Business

Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies.

Sign Up

Sign Up

Laos is this year’s Asean chair. Since it formally joined the regional alliance in 1997, the landlocked nation has helmed the role twice – once in 2004 and again in 2016.

To support Laos’ chairmanship this year, Singapore rolled out the Singapore-Laos Enhanced Cooperation Package, announced in September 2022 by then Prime Minister Lee.

The package includes capacity-building programmes for Lao officials, such as on report writing and public presentation skills.

SEE ALSO

Myanmar crisis, Timor-Leste accession high on agenda as Laos gears up for Asean chair

Both nations are also involved in the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project.

Under this inter-governmental project, Singapore began in June 2022 to import up to 100 megawatts of renewable hydropower from Laos, via Thailand and Malaysia using existing interconnectors.