Prime Minister Hun Sen and his new Lao counterpart Phankham Viphavanh have pledged to finalise the draft partnership action plan in the fields of political security, trade, investment, education and culture, according to the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The pledge was made during their meeting via video conference on April 12, in which Hun Sen also congratulated Phankham on his recent election as prime minister.
Both leaders highlighted a remarkable growth of bilateral trade, which had increased tenfold to $104 million in 2020 from a mere $10 million the previous year.
To boost investment, both agreed to expedite the negotiation of the Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation-DTA.
Hun Sen and Phankham also underlined the need for closer collaboration in the fight against Covid-19. Phankham thanked the Cambodian government for donating two million face masks and other medical supplies to Laos.
During the meeting, Hun Sen said he appreciated Laos' support for Cambodia as host of the 13rd ASEM Summit in late 2021. Both invited each other to pay official visits at an appropriate time.
