Malaysia, Laos form strategic rail-sea trade partnership

Putrajaya, May 25 (IANS) Malaysia and Laos formed a strategic partnership to boost cross-border trade between Penang Port and the Thanaleng Dry Port (TDP) via rail and sea, with the exchange of a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) here on Sunday.

The MoC was exchanged between MMC Port Holdings Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer Azman Shah Mohd Yusof and PTL Holding Co. Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Chanthone Sitthixay. The signing was witnessed by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone, who is on an official visit ahead of the 46th ASEAN Summit, Xinhua news agency reported.

This cooperation underscores Malaysia's growing role as a regional logistics hub and aligns with efforts to enhance regional connectivity. It will not only promote multimodal integration by combining rail and sea transport, but also reduce transit times and logistics costs, improve supply chain efficiency, and boost regional economic growth, Azman Shah told local media.

"We are pleased to contribute to TDP's efforts to realise Laos' national strategy to transform from a land-locked country to a land-linked nation. This partnership positions Malaysia as a gateway for trade between mainland Southeast Asia and global markets, while also supporting Laos in becoming a land-linked economy," he said.

Meanwhile, Anwar also met with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh, who is in Malaysia for an official visit, with the two leaders witnessing the exchange of documents between Malaysia and Vietnam, aimed at strengthening cooperation in energy, education and regional integration.

"This visit is a manifestation of a shared commitment to continue strengthening bilateral relations, expanding strategic cooperation, and further strengthening solidarity and cohesion among ASEAN countries," Anwar said in a statement following the meeting.

As chair of the ASEAN grouping for 2025, Malaysia will host the 46th ASEAN Summit, along with the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit and inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit, from Monday to Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"Malaysia remains committed to fostering a united, inclusive and forward-looking ASEAN Community that is responsive to the needs of its peoples and resilient to regional and global challenges," it said.

--IANS

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