Thailand and Laos jointly held a ceremony to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge over the Mekong River, connecting Nong Khai province in Thailand and the capital city of Vientiane in Laos.

The ceremony that was held in Nong Khai on Sunday was co-hosted by Panpree Bahiddha-Nukara, deputy prime minister and minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and Saleumxay Kommasith,  deputy prime minister and minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos.

Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited members of the diplomatic corps in Thailand to join the event to showcase the tourism and economic potential of Nong Khai and its adjacent provinces.

The first Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge is the first bridge over the Mekong River that connects Thailand with Laos. The value of trade passing through this bridge accounts for over 33 percent of the total border trade between Thailand and Laos, according to the official statistics.

The bridge is the most important channel for cross-border trade between the two countries, according to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.