Japanese Crown Prince Akasaka and his wife (right) welcome Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and his wife.

PM meets with Japanese Crown Prince in Tokyo

Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and his wife on Tuesday paid a courtesy visit to Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and his wife at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, where the Lao leader and the Japanese Prime Minister will push forward efforts to strengthen ties between the two countries.
The Lao premier and his delegation are in Japan for an official working visit from January 20 to 23, which marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
PM Sonexay expressed his delight at paying a courtesy visit to the Crown Prince. He expressed his intention to continue working with Japan to further enhance the seven-decade friendly relations and good cooperation between Laos and Japan, and the elevation of ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release.
The two sides expressed delight at the growing ties, which see the Lao and Japanese peoples enjoying closer links.
The two countries’ political parties, states and parliaments have maintained sound cooperation, thus bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples, while bilateral cooperation has also contributed to regional development.
The two sides agreed to encourage continuous cooperation in areas of shared potential, especially direct flights between Vientiane and Tokyo, to bolster cooperation in economics, trade, investment, and tourism.
PM Sonexay, on behalf of the Lao government and people, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the government and people of Japan, a key provider of Official Development Assistance to Laos, for their invaluable support and assistance.
This assistance has significantly contributed to the implementation of Laos’ national socio-economic development plans.
The Lao side underlined key areas of Japan’s assistance, in particular for human resource development, health, agriculture and forestry, infrastructure development and unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance. Japan was also a key supporter of Laos’ 2024 ASEAN Chairmanship.
Crown Prince Akishino offered a warm welcome and said he highly valued the visit to Japan by PM Sonexay and his delegation. He hoped the official working visit would be a complete success and that the longstanding friendship and good cooperation, as well as the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, would continue to flourish.
Later in the day, PM Sonexay and his Japanese counterpart Ishiba Shigeru held talks to advance ties.
PM Sonexay’s visit will also take in the Laos-Japan business forum and a celebration of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update January 22, 2025)