Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane (right) shakes hands with his Belarusian counterpart Maxim Ryzhenkov on Thursday after signing a visa waiver agreement for Lao and Belarusian citizens.
VIENTIANE: Laos and Belarus have agreed to deepen ties across a range of areas from trade to investment, tourism and more as ministers of foreign affairs of the two countries held talks in Vientiane.
Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxim Ryzhenkov, accompanied by a government delegation, is paying an official visit to Laos from July 16-18, at the invitation of his Lao counterpart, Thongsavanh Phomvihane, the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release.
The two ministers signed an agreement on the waiver of visas for Lao and Belarusian citizens - a significant step to boost tourist travel and ease proceedings for visiting government delegations.
The ministers noted that the two countries have enjoyed growing relations in many spheres, including between their political parties, National Assemblies, in security and defence, finance, banking, trade, education, culture, tourism, health, mining, and energy.
They encouraged the fulfilment of agreements reached by senior leaders of Laos and Belarus to promote trade and investment between the two countries.
They also discussed the need to enhance cooperation in education, culture, public health, energy, and mining.
The two sides updated each other on recent developments in their respective countries and noted with satisfaction the strong cooperation between Laos and Belarus since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1994.
The two nations have supported each other in the regional and international arenas, especially within the United Nations framework, and organised regular reciprocal visits by high-ranking delegations, and pledged to continue their mutual support.
Ryzhenkov said he was committed to working closely with Laos to strengthen and enhance the friendship and good cooperation between the two countries, making contributions to peace, stability, and international cooperation. - Vientiane Times/ANN
