Thai PM joins 28th, 29th ASEAN Summits in Lao PDR

BANGKOK, September 6 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha is attending the 28th-29th ASEAN Summits and related forums in Lao PDR, scheduled for September 6-8, after taking part in the 11th Group of 20 (G20) Summit in Hangzhou of China's southeastern Zhejiang Province during September 4-5. Before the 28th-29th ASEAN Summits were inaugurated in Vientiane, Lao PDR's capital, the Thai prime minister met for bilateral talks with his Lao counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith on Monday morning, during which he praised Lao PDR’ role as the current Chair of ASEAN and expressed his confidence in the success of the latest ASEAN Summits and related forums under Vientiane's host. The Thai premier also announced that Bangkok is ready to cooperate and support Vientiane in all areas under both bilateral and multilateral frameworks for the happiness of people in both the neighboring countries. Besides, Thailand will take joint actions with fellow members to materialize ASEAN vision to be adopted at this week's summits, themed “Turning Vision into Reality for a Dynamic ASEAN Community”, into practice. The Lao prime minister, in turn, expressed his appreciation to close friendship between Lao PDR and Thailand and accepted an invitation to attend next month's Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) in Bangkok, scheduled for October 9-10. On the occasion, the Lao and Thai leaders also discussed progress of issues raised during the Lao premier's official visit to Thailand last month, including cross-border connectivity through tourism promotion and infrastructure development, including a plan to build the 5th, the 6th and the 7th Thai–Lao Friendship Bridges, linking Thailand's northeastern Bueng Kan Province with Lao PDR's Bolikhamxai, Thailand's northeastern Ubon Ratchathani Province with Lao PDR's Salavan and Thailand's northeastern Loei Province with Vientiane respectively. (TNA)