Deputy foreign ministers of Laos and India witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on the handover of five development projects to Laos under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation scheme. - VT
VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/Asia News Network): The governments of Laos and India have agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas of strong potential, not only in trade and investment but also in education, health, culture, agriculture and forestry, defence, and infrastructure.
The agreement was reached during a meeting in Vientiane on Thursday (July 27) between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune and his visiting Indian counterpart Saurabh Kumar.
India’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Saurabh Kumar is paying a working visit to Laos from July 26-29 to discuss ways to further consolidate bilateral collaboration.
The two deputy ministers said they valued the growing economic, trade and investment ties between their two countries, with the value of two-way trade reaching US$54 million in the first six months of this year.
The value of Lao exports to India was US$43 million while Laos imported goods from India worth US$11 million.
During the meeting, Phoxay asked his Indian counterpart to set up a business exchange programme to enable the private sectors of the two countries to explore opportunities to boost trade and investment.
Following the meeting, the two deputy foreign ministers witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on the handover to Laos of five development projects under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation scheme.
The five projects are valued at US$248,226 and comprise the construction of a primary school in Xayaboury province, construction of an ICT training centre and provision of equipment for Xayaboury province, a health centre in Xekong province, a water supply system in Xieng Khuang province, and construction of a lower secondary school in Savannakhet province.
During the meeting, the two deputy ministers spoke highly of the growing links between Laos and India over the past 67 years since diplomatic relations were established in 1956.
The close, friendly and mutually supportive relations between Laos and India have their roots in history and are based on deep cultural, religious and people-to-people links, as ancient civilisations.
The Wat Lao (monastery) of the Lao PDR in Bodha Gaya (Buddhagaya) in India was built in 2011, not far from the Mahabodhi Temple, where Buddha attained enlightenment.
