[VIENTIANE] While Singapore and Laos are small countries with similar population sizes, their cooperation is wide-ranging and spans areas such as energy connectivity and resilience, sustainability, public health and food security.
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said this on Friday (Oct 11) at an official banquet in Vientiane during a bilateral meeting with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone.
In a toast speech, PM Wong remarked that both nations grapple with geographical constraints – Laos is landlocked while Singapore, as an island state, is “sea-locked”.
Therefore, they share a common interest in remaining connected to the region and beyond, and staying resilient in an increasingly volatile world, he added.
PM Wong also welcomed the increase in flight frequency to Vientiane from Singapore by budget carrier Scoot to four times a week – from thrice – starting in December, in a boost to regional connectivity.
On the energy front, Singapore has been importing up to 200 megawatts of renewable hydropower from Laos since 2022, under a power integration project that marks the first collaboration among four Asean countries on multilateral cross-border electricity trading.
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“(The Asean power grid) will enhance our collective energy security and accelerate our respective green transitions,” said PM Wong.
He also noted the good progress made on the sustainability front, highlighting an earlier pledge by both nations to deepen cooperation in carbon credits.
Singapore and Laos are currently working towards a legally binding implementation agreement on carbon credits collaboration that the city-state has so far inked with only Papua New Guinea and Ghana.
Singapore and Laos have also started collaborating on food security, pointed out PM Wong, without going into the details. Both countries are also building up the resilience of their public health systems together, he added.
PM Wong said: “Together, we can turn our limitations into strengths, by embarking on win-win projects that benefit both our peoples.”
In his speech, Sonexay reaffirmed Laos’ commitment to working closely with Singapore to further enhance political cooperation, and expand and diversify economic collaborations.
PM Wong will wrap up his two-day bilateral visit to Laos on Saturday. His trip comes three months after Sonexay made his first official visit to Singapore to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
