Vientiane: Bounleua Phandanouvong, Head of the Committee for External Relations of the Party Central Committee, received a courtesy call from Ong Siew Gay, Ambassador of Singapore to the Lao PDR, on Feb 24. Mr. Bounleua extended his congratulations to the Ambassador on his appointment and expressed optimism that enhanced cooperation with Lao sectors would not only strengthen bilateral ties but also yield concrete benefits for both nations, while playing a role in fortifying the ASEAN community.According to Lao News Agency, Ambassador Ong expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and congratulated Mr. Bounleua on his election to the Party Central Committee during the 12th National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. He reiterated Singapore's dedication to enhancing cooperation with Laos.Both parties concurred on the importance of advancing collaboration in various fields, including economy, trade and investment, human resource development, as well as regional cooperation within ASEAN and o ther multilateral frameworks.