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Top Russian, Laotian diplomats to discuss cooperation in Asia Pacific

Sergey Lavrov and Thongsavanh Phomvihane to discuss ssues of trade, defense, and security

MOSCOW, June 26. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet with his visiting Laotian counterpart, Thongsavanh Phomvihane to discuss cooperation in the Asia Pacific region, as well as issues of trade, defense, and security.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier that the top Laotian diplomat would pay an official visit to Russia on June 24 through 29. Along with talks with his Russian counterpart, the Laotian foreign minister is scheduled to meet with Irek Faizullin, Russian minister of construction and housing and Russian co-chair of the bilateral commission for trade-and-economic and scientific-and-technical cooperation.

Russia and Laos maintain regular contacts. Thus, the top Laotian diplomat’s previous visit to Russia took place in May when he attended celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazism. It was planned initially that the celebrations would be attended by President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith but he could not come because of Covid. The Laotian military took part in the Victory Parade in Moscow’s Red Square.

Laotian Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith took part in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in earlier in June.

President Thongloun Sisoulith attended the BRICS summit in Kazan in October 2024. He said back then that his country wanted to become a full-fledged member of the association.

This October, the two countries will mark the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

In May 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on the ratification of the intergovernmental agreement on military cooperation between Russia and Laos, which was signed in Moscow on August 13, 2024.

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