MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone reaffirmed their commitment to further advancing bilateral relations as the two countries marked their 70th year of diplomatic relations this year.
In a meeting that took place on the sidelines of the 46th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, both leaders expressed their shared intention to deepen cooperation across key areas of mutual interest. The two highlighted defense, trade, investment, and education.
President Marcos acknowledged the “great potential” for increased trade between the Philippines and Laos, citing the latter’s rapid economic growth as a promising avenue for expanded economic engagement.
Trade between the Philippines and Laos has seen notable growth, rising to approximately US$13.72 million in 2024 from around US$7 million in 2019, reflecting the strengthening of economic ties between the two nations.
Looking ahead, both sides identified additional areas for enhanced cooperation, including agriculture, skills development, tourism, and emerging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology.
“We would like to strengthen all our relations, trade, defense, and security, and even the people-to-people exchange,” President Marcos said.
Prime Minister Siphandone, for his part, acknowledged the contributions of the more than 2,000-strong Filipino community in Laos to education, research, and architecture..
The Laotian leader noted Filipino investments in the clean energy sector and invited more Filipino investments in his country’s priority areas, including advanced technology research, clean agriculture, the agro-processing industry, tourism, education, health services, and infrastructure./PN
