**PHNOM PENH, Cambodia** – The heads of government from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam (CLV) convened a trilateral meeting on the afternoon of February 6, 2026, affirming the critical importance of their partnership for maintaining regional peace, stability, and mutual economic development. The meeting, hosted by Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet at the Unity Palace, included Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone.
The gathering was held on the sidelines of concurrent leadership meetings between the ruling political parties of the three nations in Phnom Penh. Prime Minister Hun Manet highly evaluated the robust communication and fruitful cooperation achieved across all levels between the three countries. The discussion centered on accelerating economic integration, with the Cambodian premier proposing ambitious trade targets. These targets include boosting Cambodia-Laos bilateral trade to $700 million by 2030, and aiming for Cambodia-Vietnam trade volume to reach $20 billion in the near term. The three government heads collectively underscored the necessity of connectivity and people-to-people exchanges.
They specifically urged technical teams to accelerate the identification of connection points for key cross-border infrastructure, notably linking Cambodia’s Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway with Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh-Moc Bai expressway. They also pushed for broader collaborations across transportation, tourism, culture, and energy infrastructure, aiming to promote the regional tourism initiative, “Three Countries, One Destination.” Beyond economic ties, the leaders emphasized the need to deepen political-diplomatic cooperation, ensuring mutual support within regional and international forums. They also committed to enhancing defense and security collaboration to jointly counter rising non-traditional threats, including transnational crime and technology-enabled fraud. In closing, the CLV leaders reiterated their commitment to driving continuous collaboration in trade, investment, and education, ensuring these strategic relationships contribute substantially to the continued economic prosperity and long-term stability of the Mekong subregion.