Meeting with Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia on 23 October.

“I need to tell you that we have a high regard for your country,” the Belarusian President addressed the Lao leader. "We would like to deepen our relations, to have a gateway to Southeast of Asia. Since Belarus could be of use to Laos we could expand our cooperation and work more actively. Everything is in place for this. All we need is our desire and a certain action plan for the future."

In turn, Thongloun Sisoulith thanked Aleksandr Lukashenko for the opportunity to hold the meeting. The Lao leader recalled his visit to Minsk in 2013 in the capacity of deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of Laos. He also met with the Belarusian President during the Victory Day parade in Moscow in May of this year.

“I am constantly following the news. I would like to congratulate you on your success in your service - Belarus has strengthened its role on the international stage,” the Lao leader said. He also thanked Belarus for cooperation in the military and industrial sector and assistance in personnel training for Laos.

According to Thongloun Sisoulith, the pace and level of cooperation, particularly in the economy, do not yet correspond to the potential of the two countries, given the high level of political interaction and the friendly relations between Belarus and Laos.

Aleksandr Lukashenko agreed with his colleague: “Our relations, as you said correctly, do not correspond to our potential. We need to move more active on this path. We should decide what we need to do for each other. I think we will do it in the near future. You can rest assured, Mr. President, we will do our best to make sure cooperation with Belarus benefits your country.”

The head of state pointed out the readiness to cooperate with Laos in many areas of mutual interest. “I think it is necessary for specialists from both sides to work out a plan for the near and middle term, so that we understand in which directions to move, what Belarusian goods you are interested in and what we can buy from the Lao People's Democratic Republic. We need to bring together all these thoughts, work out a concrete plan and put it on our tables for approval,” the President said. In order to address these issues, he suggested exchanging visits. “You are always welcome in Minsk,” Aleksandr Lukashenko, adding that he would find time to visit Laos himself.