VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/Asia News Network): The Lao and Thai governments have agreed to enhance cooperation to strengthen border security.
A cooperation document on the issue was signed at the 27th meeting of the Lao-Thai Joint Border Security Cooperation Committee held in Bangkok, Thailand, when the Lao delegation attended in response to an invitation from Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha.
Laos’ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, General Chansamone Chanyalath, led Lao officials attending the meeting.
The two sides assessed the follow up to the 26th meeting of the Lao-Thai Joint Border Security Committee, which took place in Vientiane in December 2019.
Participants expressed satisfaction that relations and cooperation between the two countries had made solid progress, were of mutual benefit, and enabled problems to be solved and security to be enhanced along the two countries’ shared border, resulting in peace in most border areas.
The meeting called on all parties to fulfil the agreement on border security cooperation between the governments of Laos and Thailand, which was jointly signed in Vientiane on Dec 17, 2015.
In addition, the Lao side requested that the content of the agreement be more closely aligned with the current situation and cooperation between the two border security agencies.
It was also agreed to hold a joint meeting of the Lao-Thai Joint Border Security Committee four times a year, to be hosted by each country in turn.
The number of committees, observers and officials attending each meeting shall be limited to 30, but if either party hosts a meeting of the Lao-Thai/Thai-Lao Joint Border Security Committee, it is agreed that the same party will co-host a meeting of the secretariat.
The Lao and Thai co-chairs signed cooperation documents agreeing that the next meeting would be hosted by Laos, as the 28th meeting of the Lao-Thai Joint Border Security Cooperation Committee.
The cooperation documents were signed by General Chansamone Chanyalath and Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan.
On the same occasion, General Chansamone paid a courtesy call on the Thai Prime Minister, Prayut ChanO- Cha.