President Thongloun Sisoulith (left) escorts visiting Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing to inspect a guard of honour at the Presidential Palace on Friday. --Photo Sangkhomsay.

Laos, Myanmar strengthen ties during state visit of Myanmar President

The leaders of Laos and Myanmar have pledged to deepen their long-standing bilateral relations and expand cooperation across multiple sectors during a state visit by the Myanmar President to Vientiane from July 3-5.
President Min Aung Hlaing, accompanied by his wife and a high-level delegation, arrived in Vientiane on Friday at the invitation of President Thongloun Sisoulith.
The visit is part of activities marking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Laos and Myanmar and aims to further strengthen the traditional friendship and good-neighbourly cooperation between the two nations.
A state welcome ceremony was held with full honours at the Presidential Palace in Vientiane, where President Thongloun and his wife, Mrs Naly Sisoulith, warmly received the Myanmar leader and his delegation.
Following the ceremony, President Thongloun and President Min Aung Hlaing held official talks, during which they reviewed bilateral cooperation, exchanged views on regional and international issues, and discussed future directions for relations between Laos and Myanmar.
President Thongloun described the visit as a significant political event and a new milestone in strengthening the traditional friendship, solidarity and cooperation nurtured by the two countries over more than seven decades.

Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone (right) greets visiting Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing prior to their talks at the Prime Minister’s Office on Friday. --Photo Prime Minister’s Office.	President of the Lao National Assembly, Mr Xaysomphone Phomvihane (right), greets visiting President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Min Aung Hlaing at the National Assembly in Vientiane on Friday. -- Photo Phouthen Pasaxon News.

He congratulated Myanmar on the successful conduct of its general election and the formation of a new government, and expressed confidence that Myanmar would continue to make progress under President Min Aung Hlaing’s leadership.
President Min Aung Hlaing thanked the Lao Party, State and people for their warm hospitality and reaffirmed Myanmar’s commitment to further expand cooperation with Laos.
The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the continued strengthening of bilateral relations, reflected in close political cooperation, regular exchanges of high-level visits and strong mutual trust. They also welcomed progress in cooperation in defence and security, foreign affairs, trade, investment, transport, energy, labour, education and other sectors.
The two sides agreed to encourage their relevant agencies to maintain close coordination and strengthen collaboration in areas including border security, information sharing and cooperation in regional and international forums such as ASEAN, the United Nations, and the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation framework.
Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone also met President Min Aung Hlaing at the Prime Minister’s Office, where they discussed ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation.
Prime Minister Sonexay said the visit would help deepen and consolidate the longstanding friendship and good-neighbourly relations between Laos and Myanmar. He welcomed the successful outcome of the presidential talks and the signing of cooperation agreements earlier in the day.
During their discussions, the two sides expressed appreciation for the positive progress achieved in bilateral relations, particularly in the political sphere, which has been characterised by mutual trust, continued support and regular exchanges between senior leaders.
They agreed to strengthen cooperation in politics, national defence and security, trade, investment, transport, energy, labour, education and humanitarian affairs, while also enhancing collaboration to address cross-border air pollution and advancing work through the Laos-Myanmar Joint Committee on Bilateral Cooperation and other channels.

President Min Aung Hlaing praised the Lao government and people for their continued support in promoting bilateral relations, and reiterated Myanmar’s commitment to broadening cooperation with Laos.
The Myanmar leader also held talks with the President of the National Assembly, Mr Xaysomphone Phomvihane, during which they pledged to strengthen parliamentary cooperation and support the implementation of bilateral agreements.
Mr Xaysomphone described the visit as an important milestone in advancing the historic friendship and close relations between the two countries. He noted that Laos was the first ASEAN member state to be visited by President Min Aung Hlaing for official foreign engagements since taking office.
The two sides exchanged views on developments in their respective countries and welcomed the continued strengthening of political relations, underpinned by mutual trust and frequent exchanges between senior leaders.
They agreed to enhance cooperation between Laos’ National Assembly and Myanmar’s Union Parliament and to support the effective implementation of agreements signed by the two governments.
Mr Xaysomphone reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to providing legislative support and monitoring the implementation of memorandums of understanding and other bilateral agreements to ensure they deliver practical benefits to both countries.
President Min Aung Hlaing expressed support for closer cooperation between the two legislative bodies and said both parliaments should continue encouraging their respective governments to effectively implement agreements, particularly in the areas of trade, investment and economic cooperation.
Following the presidential talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of two cooperation documents: a Memorandum of Understanding on tourism cooperation between Laos’ Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Myanmar’s Ministry of Hotels, Tourism and Culture, and a Memorandum of Understanding establishing “friendship city” relations between Vientiane and Nay Pyi Taw.
They also witnessed the handover of snake antivenom serum to the Lao Ministry of Health.
During his stay in Laos, President Min Aung Hlaing laid a wreath at the Unknown Soldier Monument in Vientiane in honour of Lao revolutionary soldiers and attended a Baci ceremony and official state banquet hosted by President Thongloun and Mrs Naly Sisoulith.
The Myanmar President and his delegation are also scheduled to visit Luang Prabang, where they will tour temples, cultural landmarks and other attractions in the UNESCO World Heritage city before concluding the state visit.
 

By Bounfaeng Phaymanivong
 (Latest Update July 4, 2026)