Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of Laos Saleumxay Kommasith

On April 21, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Deputy Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic Saleumxay Kommasith.

The parties discussed the current state and development prospects of bilateral relations with an emphasis on practical cooperation in trade, the economy and culture. Issues of mutual interest on the regional and global agenda were also addressed.

The conversation took place in a friendly and trusting atmosphere traditional for Russian-Laotian relations.

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Bilateral relations

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.

the Lao People's Democratic Republic

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic

General information: Laos is located on the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It borders on China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is a landlocked country. It covers 236,800 square kilometres. The population is 6.9 million, the level of ethnic diversity is high (49 nationalities, according to official data). Laos is divided into 17 provinces plus the Vientiane capital city municipality (population 820,000). Lao is the official language. Theravada Buddhism is the country’s main religion (over 65 percent of the population).

Political system: Laos is a socialist-oriented country. It has a one-party system (Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, LPRP). The current constitution was adopted in 2003. The supreme legislative body is the unicameral National Assembly (NA). President and General Secretary of the LPRP Central Committee Bounnhang Vorachith is the head of state. Pany Yathotou is the President of the NA. Thongloun Sisoulith is the country’s Prime Minister. Saleumxay Kommasith is the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Economy: The main natural resources are forests and minerals (tin, iron, copper, gold, gemstones). Laos has a considerable hydropower potential. Agriculture is a major part of the economy. Rice is the main cultivated crop. The industrial sector is represented mostly by small and medium-sized businesses specializing in construction, mining, processing, clothing and food industries. The export-oriented hydropower energy sector is now actively developing. Efforts are being made to attract foreign tourists (in 2016, 4.5 million tourists visited Laos, namely from Thailand, Vietnam and the People’s Republic of China).

The strategic goal of the Laos Government is to move the country from the list of the Least Developed Countries by 2020. In 2016, GDP growth was 6.9 percent. The inflation rate amounts to 1.17 percent, the industrial output growth was 10 percent, the public debt stood at 48.6 percent of GDP, the per capita income was $1.890. Foreign trade turnover amounted to $8 billion. Currency, kip (about 8,000 kips equal $1).

The main investors are China, Vietnam and Thailand. The major donors include Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Germany, France, Sweden and the UN organisations. The financial resources are provided by the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the IMF.

Foreign policy: Laos’ foreign policy is mostly aimed at attracting large-scale foreign aid and investment. The key issue for the country’s diplomacy is the development of political and economic ties with the Asia Pacific countries. The main strategic allies are Vietnam and China.

Laos is a UN member (since 1955), WTO member (since 2013), member of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 1997. It participates in the ASEAN Regional Forum, East Asia summits and other mechanisms of multilateral cooperation in Asia Pacific. In 2015-2018, Laos is the coordinator of the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Partnership, the country chaired ASEAN in 2016. In November 2012, Vientiane hosted the 9^th Summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).

Laos maintains diplomatic relations with 128 countries.