the Lao People's Democratic Republic

Russia-Laos Relations

Diplomatic relations between Russia and Laos were established on October 7, 1960. On March 9, 1994, the countries signed the Treaty on Amity. In October 2011, Russia and Laos adopted the Declaration on Strategic Partnership in the Asia Pacific Region.

The political dialogue is developing progressively. In November 2010, Vladimir Putin had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Laos Bouasone Bouphavanh on the sidelines of the International Tiger Conservation Forum in St Petersburg. In October 2011, Choummaly Sayasone, the President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, paid an official visit to Russia. In September 2015, President Vladimir Putin had a working meeting with the President of Laos Choummaly Sayasone during the celebration of the 70^th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing. In May 2016, Vladimir Putin had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit in Sochi.

In November 2012, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev had a meeting with the President and the Prime Minister of Laos during the 9^th ASEM Summit in Vientiane. Since 2014 the meetings between Dmitry Medvedev and the Prime Minister of Laos on the sidelines of the annual East Asia summits have become a tradition.

There are strong ties between the ministries and agencies of the two countries. In March 2016, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Laos Thongsing Thammavong on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan, China. In April 2016, Arkady Dvorkovich held talks with Deputy Prime Minister of Laos Somsavat Lengsavad in Moscow. In 2004 and 2010 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov paid official visits to Laos. In 2005, 2007, 2009, 2015 and 2017, deputy prime ministers as well as foreign ministers of Laos, paid official visits to Russia. In August 2015 and July 2016 Sergey Lavrov held meetings with the leaders of the Foreign Ministry of Laos on the sidelines of ministerial events in Kuala Lumpur and Vientiane. In April 2014, another round of consultations between the two countries’ foreign ministries at the deputy-minister level took place in Moscow.

The interaction between the parliaments of the two countries actively develops as well. In 2009, Sergey Mironov, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly, paid an official visit to Vientiane. In July 2010, Thongsing Thammavong, President of the National Assembly of Laos, visited Russia. In October 2013, Pany Yathotou, President of the National Assembly of Laos, paid a visit to Russia as well. In September 2014, Valentina Matviyenko, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly, paid a reciprocal visit to Laos. In September 2015, Pany Yathotou, President of the National Assembly of Laos, participated in the Eurasian Women’s Forum in St Petersburg.

In 2015, parliamentary friendship groups from the two countries exchanged visits. In March 2017, Andrey Klishas, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State-Building, paid a working visit to Vientiane.

In 2016, trade volume between the two countries reached $40.9 million (148.6 percent increase on 2015), Russian exports reached $13.1 million (16.4 percent decrease), imports reached $27.8 million (34.3-fold increase). Russia’s main exports items are timber and pulp and paper products (40.5 percent), machinery, equipment and transport vehicles (48 percent), food and agricultural products (5.8 percent). Imports include equipment and transport vehicles (95.1 percent), textiles and textile goods (3.6 percent).

In 1979, the two countries founded the Russian-Laotian Intergovernmental Commission for Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation. In August 2015, an intersessional meeting of the Commission’s co-Chairs was held in Vientiane. In July 2017, the 13^th session of the Commission was held in Moscow. Minister of Communications and Mass Media Nikolai Nikiforov was appointed the commission’s co-chair for Russia.

Cooperation in security and defence is currently being actively developed as well. In April 2016 and 2017, Sengnouane Xayalath, Defence Minister of Laos, paid official visits to Russia, during which he held talks with Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu. In February 2017, the 2^nd session of the Russian-Laotian Working Group on Military and Technical Cooperation was held in Vientiane. In March 2017, Oleg Salyukov, Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces paid a working visit to Laos.

Cultural ties between the two countries are being maintained as well. In October 2013, the Russian Centre for Science and Culture was re-opened in Vientiane (it suspended its activities in 1998). In the 2016/2017 academic year 86 students from Laos were admitted to Russian universities and granted state scholarships. In the 2017/2018 academic year there will be 81 state scholarships for citizens of Laos. In 2013-2016 groups of children from Laos took their holidays during an international session being held at the All-Russian Children’s Centre, Okean, near Vladivostok. In return, in 2014 and 2015 a group of children aged between 11-17 from the Primorye Territory and Irkutsk visited Laos under the programme of the Okean All-Russian Children’s Centre.