VIENTIANE: President Thongloun Sisoulith and President Sadyr Japarov held their first bilateral meeting on Monday (Aug 31), marking a new step in Laos-Kyrgyzstan relations.
The meeting marked the first bilateral talks between the two presidents since Laos and Kyrgyzstan established diplomatic relations on July 13, 1995.
The meeting took place at the Office of the President of Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek, where President Thongloun attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Plus Summit.
The two presidents reviewed bilateral relations and discussed ways to expand cooperation in the years ahead.
President Thongloun expressed his pleasure at meeting President Japarov and praised Kyrgyzstan for co-hosting the summit.
He also thanked Kyrgyzstan for inviting Laos to the meeting and for arranging the bilateral talks.
President Thongloun described the meeting as an important milestone in strengthening the friendship and cooperation built between the two countries over more than three decades.
He also congratulated President Japarov and the people of Kyrgyzstan on the country’s 35th Independence Day on Aug 31.
The two sides spoke highly of their longstanding friendship and recalled Kyrgyzstan’s support for Laos during the struggle for liberation and the country’s early development.
Kyrgyzstan, as one of the former Soviet republics, has provided support for human resource development in Laos over the years.
Looking ahead, the two countries agreed to establish a political cooperation mechanism between their foreign ministries.
They also agreed to share experiences in overcoming the challenges faced by landlocked countries and make better use of opportunities to become land-linked.
They said the sharing of experiences would help promote economic, trade and transport cooperation between the two countries.
The two sides see greater potential for cooperation as Laos works to strengthen transport links with neighbouring countries and connect with regional markets
President Japarov welcomed the meeting and reaffirmed Kyrgyzstan’s commitment to promoting cooperation with Laos to strengthen and deepen bilateral ties.
He expressed the hope that the longstanding friendship between the two countries would continue to develop and flourish.
Earlier on Monday, President Thongloun met with the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Nurlan Yermekbayev, to discuss Laos’ role as a Dialogue Partner.
He said Laos highly valued the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in July granting the country Dialogue Partner status, describing it as an important milestone that opened up a new phase of cooperation.
President Thongloun reaffirmed Laos’ commitment to participating actively and responsibly in Shanghai Cooperation Organisation mechanisms and turning its Dialogue Partner status into practical cooperation.
He highlighted four priority areas of cooperation: trade, investment and production capacity; agriculture and food security; connectivity and trade facilitation; and digital transformation and human resource development.
President Thongloun arrived in Bishkek on Monday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Plus Dialogue Partners meeting, marking Laos’ first participation as a Dialogue Partner.
The meeting, held on Aug 31 and SepT 1, brought together leaders and representatives of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member states, dialogue partners and observer countries.
It took the theme “The United Nations as a Key Element of a Fair World Order: the Contribution of the SCO Plus States to the Formation of a Multipolar World”. - Vientiane Times/ANN
