HANOI, July 29. /TASS/. Laos and Russia support each other on multilateral platforms and share similar views on many issues, President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Thongloun Sisoulith told TASS in an exclusive interview on the eve of his official visit to Russia between July 30 and August 1.
According to Sisoulith, Laos and Russia defend the basic principles of international relations, promote multilateralism and establish a fair multipolar world order.
"I highly commend Russia’s role as a pillar of peace and stability in today’s turbulent world," he said.
He said that Russia is one of the key dialogue partners of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Laos highly appreciates the fruitful cooperation between ASEAN and Moscow over the past three decades.
"In 2016, when the Lao PDR had the honour of serving as the ASEAN Chair for the second time, I was deeply privileged to co-chair, alongside President Vladimir Putin, the celebration of the 20th anniversary of ASEAN-Russia relations in Sochi, Russia, marking a resounding success," Sisoulith said.
In the context of raising the status of the partnership between Russia and ASEAN to a strategic one in 2018, Laos, according to him, is happy to see "Russia’s significant contributions in supporting and enhancing ASEAN’s centrality in various cooperation mechanisms. At the same time, we emphasize the importance of implementing the Strategic Partnership to elevate ASEAN-Russia relations to new heights."
In 2026, an important date will be celebrated - the 30th anniversary of cooperation between ASEAN and Russia, the Lao leader said.