Belarusian Delegation Continues Work in Laos: Visa-Free Agreement Signed

Belarus and Laos share no disagreements in their views, including mutual support on the international stage and the development of their foreign policies. Recently, it was announced that Laos has become a partner country of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Meanwhile, Belarus celebrated its first anniversary of membership in the organization. The "Shanghai Spirit" — characterized by respect, equality, and solidarity — is evident during the current visit of the Belarusian delegation. The program is quite intensive: meetings with government officials and, of course, with the country’s political leadership. The tone of bilateral relations is set by the leaders of the states.

Presidents of Belarus and Laos met at the BRICS summit in Kazan in the autumn of 2024. Many joint plans and ideas exist, and it is important to detail them. At that time, the Laotian leader invited the Belarusian delegation to discuss new mutually beneficial projects.

On July 17, the guests visited the presidential palace in the heart of Vientiane. They talked for about an hour, starting, of course, with the main topic.

Thongloun Sisoulith, President of Laos:

"First of all, let me convey warm regards from President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus. He is interested in developing relations with Laos — we see and appreciate this. It is time to elevate our cooperation to a new level to ensure genuine partnership. We are ready to work towards this."

The President of Laos is eagerly awaited in Belarus. This was once again confirmed by Maxim Ryzhenkov. Clearly, there is much to discuss. The number one topic is the economy.

Maxim Ryzhenkov, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs:

"We discussed nearly the entire spectrum of our countries' relations. We particularly focused on further implementing the agreements reached during the meeting of Belarusian and Laotian leaders at the BRICS summit in Kazan last year. Progress has been made on all issues, though perhaps not as quickly as we would like. However, considering that the Laotian head of state previously accepted the invitation from our President to visit Belarus, we agreed to significantly accelerate the implementation of all our plans to prepare for a meeting of the two leaders with the most meaningful results — results that can practically contribute to the development of our states and the well-being of our citizens."

Regarding people-to-people contacts, they will definitely increase even more. On July 17, Belarusian and Laotian foreign ministers signed an agreement on visa-free travel. The work of the Belarusian delegation continues.

On Friday, July 18, a meeting at the parliament and a Belarus-Laos business forum are scheduled. Business circles from both countries will discuss future projects.