PM Wong congratulates Laos PM Saleumxay Kommasith on his appointment

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (Oct 7) congratulated Saleumxay Kommasith on his appointment as Laos' premier.The veteran diplomat, who turns 58 on Oct 31, was elected on Monday, receiving an unanimous vote of 158 lawmakers present, state news agency KPL reported.A member of the Politburo of the ruling Lao People's Revolutionary Party, Saleumxay had previously served as deputy prime minister and foreign minister. He had also served in the Lao Mission to UN and is known to speak English, Russian and French. He succeeds Sonexay Siphandone, who was elected the National Assembly president.Extending his well-wishes to Saleumxay, PM Wong wrote: "My warmest congratulations on your appointment as Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic."He noted the "very good and warm" relations between the two countries, pointing out that bilateral cooperation has expanded substantially over the years.This, PM Wong said, includes mutually beneficial initiatives such as the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project, carbon credits, and combatting transnational crime.