Laos, Malaysia agree to relax visa rules

Laos, Malaysia agree to relax visa rules

THAILAND: Laos and Malaysia have agreed to allow Malaysians to enter Laos without a visa, strengthening ties between the two Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, Radio Vientiane said on Tuesday.

A memorandum of understanding to relax the visa requirement was signed at the Lao Plaza Hotel in the capital, Vientiane, on Monday by visiting Malaysian Foreign Minister Datu Seri Syed Hamid Albar and his Lao counterpart, Somsawat Langsawat, according to the government radio, monitored in Bangkok.

Beginning July 1, Malaysians crossing into Laos will be issued a border pass and will not be required to apply for a visa, said the radio, adding that citizens of Laos have been allowed visa- free entry to Malaysia since 1994.

The broadcast hailed the increasingly close political and economic ties between the two countries. --DPA