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Russian firms interested in Laos energy, telecom markets - Putin

The Russian Federal Tourism Agency and the Laotian Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism signed a program of joint activities for 2012-2014 in the area of tourism

MOSCOW, October 13 (Itar-Tass) — Russian companies are interested in operating on telecommunication and energy markets of Laos, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Laotian President Choummali Saignason on Thursday.

“Russian companies are interested in working in the most lucrative directions of cooperation – hydropower engineering, telecommunications, communications, production and procession of natural resources,” the prime minister said.

According to him, “in case of the launch of major projects, the amount of Russian investments in the Laotian economy may grow sizably”. “So far the amount of our trade is modest,” Putin regretted.

“I hope that the documents signed today, the declaration and your visit will become a major impetus for the development of trade and economic relations,” Putin expects.

According to the prime minister, the sphere of investments is the most promising in bilateral relations. “I believe it would be most productive to concentrate work on investment cooperation,” he stressed.

Besides, the Russian prime minister pledged the president of Laos that Russia will continue offering personnel support for Laos, adding that over 7,000 Laotian students study in Russia.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his visiting Laotian counterpart Choummali Saignason on Thursday signed a strategic partnership declaration. The signing ceremony was held after their talks in the Kremlin.

Apart from that, a number of other cooperation agreements were signed in the presence of the two leaders. Such agreements include the ones on cooperation between justice ministries of the two countries, and on cooperation in the areas of healthcare and medical science.

The Russian Federal Tourism Agency and the Laotian Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism signed a program of joint activities for 2012-2014 in the area of tourism.

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