MOSCOW, September 9. /TASS/. Russia and Laos are committed to fostering bilateral partnership on biological security issues and strengthening the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"There was an exchange of assessments of biosecurity threats in the Asia-Pacific region and in the world," the Russian ministry said following Russian-Lao consultations on biological security held in Vientiane. "The issues of developing bilateral cooperation in the above sphere, as well as strengthening the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention were discussed."

The ministry added that the meeting confirmed the unity of Moscow and Vientiane's approaches to the issue of biological security. The need for further close coordination and constructive interaction both in bilateral format and at relevant multilateral platforms, primarily within the framework of the BTWC and the UN was noted, the ministry concluded.