MOSCOW, August 14. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Defense Minister held talks with his visiting Laotian counterpart, Chanthong Sonta-at, on the sidelines of the Army 2023 international forum, the Russian defense ministry said on Monday.

The sides discussed various aspects of Russian-Laotian relations in the military and military-technical spheres and expressed mutual commitment to further efforts toward strengthening traditionally friendly ties between the two countries’ armed forces," it said.

Apart from that, according to the ministry, the sides reiterated their readiness for continuing close coordination between the two defense ministries.

The Army-2023 International Military-Technical Forum is taking place at the Patriot Congress and Exhibition Center, the Alabino shooting range and the Kubinka airfield on August 14-20. About 1,500 leading Russian defense enterprises will take part in the forum’s exhibition and business program. As many as 85 foreign companies and organizations from seven countries plan to participate in the forum. The event is being organized by the Russian Defense Ministry. TASS is its strategic media partner.