President’s state visit: Laos, Brunei cement ties  

President Thongloun Sisoulith and His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam have said they highly value the friendly relations and cooperation between the two Southeast Asian countries, with the Lao president making a three-day state visit to the kingdom.
President Thongloun, his wife Naly Sisoulith, and a delegation of Lao officials arrived in Bandar Seri Begawan on Monday for the state visit at the invitation of the Bruneian king, the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release.

President Thongloun Sisoulith (right) and His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah inspect a guard of honour during the welcoming ceremony in Brunei.

The state visit is President Thongloun’s first visit to Brunei Darussalam as the President of Laos.
During talks held shortly after an official welcoming ceremony at the Istana Nurul Iman Palace on Tuesday, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah warmly welcomed the Lao president and his delegation and spoke highly of President Thongloun’s visit.
President Thongloun expressed heartfelt thanks for the warm hospitality extended to him and his delegation and voiced the hope that his visit would further enhance the friendly relations between Laos and Brunei.
The two leaders said they highly valued the friendly relations and cooperation between their countries in fields ranging from politics to human resource development, and socio-cultural and economic spheres.
The leaders discussed future cooperation to bolster their longstanding relations and cooperation and witnessed the signing of two memorandums of understanding on cooperation in agriculture and energy.
Next year, Laos and Brunei will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic ties (July 27, 1993-July 27, 2023) and will jointly organise events to mark the occasion.
President Thongloun invited His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah to visit Laos.
The leaders briefed each other on developments in their respective countries and exchanged views on regional and integrational issues of mutual interest.
President Thongloun told His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah that Laos stands ready to work with Brunei and other members of Asean, the 10-member regional bloc of which Laos and Brunei are members, to strengthen the Asean community. In this regard, Laos will assume the Chairmanship of Asean in 2024.
The Lao leader noted that the initiative to establish the Asean Centre for Climate Change in Brunei will play an important role in tackling the effects of climate change. 

President Thongloun Sisoulith (right) and His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.

The Lao president thanked the government of Brunei for the cooperation and assistance extended to Laos under the Asean framework over past years.  
The leaders congratulated the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Brunei Darussalam for convening a business-matching forum during the visit, in order to discuss potential business opportunities.
President Thongloun invited business operators in Brunei to explore investment opportunities in Laos, which has investment potential in the fields of agriculture, energy and tourism.
On the same day, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah hosted a state banquet at the Istana Nurul Iman Palace for the Lao president and his delegation.
During the visit, President Thongloun and his delegation visited Brunei Shell Petroleum and Brunei Liquefied Natural Gas.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update October 26, 2022)