The People’s Republic of China (PRC), Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), and Thailand have agreed to build a railway bridge that will be part of a high-speed rail line connecting the three countries.

Reports said the three countries signed a memorandum of cooperation last week in Beijing, which will pave the way for constructing a rail bridge linking the Thai province of Nong Khai and the Lao capital Vientiane. It will be built close to the first Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. The project is part of a planned Southeast Asian railway that will link Kunming, the capital of the Chinese province of Yunnan, with Singapore.

At the signing ceremony, Thailand’s Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said the Lao PDR and Thailand will share the cost of construction of the rail bridge. He said the bridge is expected to be ready by 2023 when the second phase of the Sino-Thai high-speed railway is completed.

Read the full report from the Bangkok Post and Reuters.