Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov highly praised the relations between Moscow and Vientiane and noted the regular nature of bilateral contacts during his meeting with his Lao counterpart Thongsavanh Phomvihane.
– “We value our relations, we value the regular contacts between our leaders,” he said, opening the talks, which are taking place in the capital of the Philippines on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) events.
– The Russian foreign minister recalled that this year alone, Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith visited Moscow to attend the celebrations marking Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, while Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone participated in the Russia-ASEAN summit in Kazan. Lavrov noted that during the Manila meeting, the ministers will discuss ways to “contribute to the effective implementation” of the tasks set by the leadership of both countries.
– For his part, the Lao foreign minister also highlighted the regular nature of top-level contacts and called the Russia-ASEAN summit, held in Kazan from June 17 to 19, “very successful.”
– From July 21 to 23, Lavrov is attending the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meetings in Manila, including the Russia-ASEAN format, the East Asia Summit (EAS), and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
– The foreign ministers of Russia and Laos previously met last July. At that time, the ministers discussed steps to expand economic and humanitarian ties between the nations, as well as strengthening the legal framework of bilateral relations. The talks were held in Kuala Lumpur, also on the sidelines of ASEAN-related events.
https://tass.com/politics/2163091