Laos President Makes First Visit to Kazakhstan, Discusses Stronger Cooperation With Tokayev

Kazakhstan welcomed Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith to Astana for his first visit to the country, a trip Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called historic.

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Next year will mark 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. This is an important milestone.

Tokayev noted that the two countries will mark 30 years of diplomatic relations next year. He described their ties as friendly and said they cooperate closely on the international stage, particularly through the United Nations. He also thanked Laos for supporting Kazakhstan’s initiatives within the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, or CICA.

The Kazakh president said Laos had become an important and reliable partner for Kazakhstan in Southeast Asia. He pointed to steady economic growth in Laos and progress in energy, agriculture, industry and tourism. Tokayev said he expected the two governments to begin actively implementing agreements reached during the visit.

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I am confident that following the visit, our governments will begin actively implementing the agreements reached.

Sisoulith thanked Tokayev for the invitation and said the visit had allowed him to see Kazakhstan’s broad development and large-scale transformations. He said the talks would cover a wide range of issues and identify promising areas for cooperation and further joint work.

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It is a great honor for me to make this official visit to Kazakhstan as President and to meet with you today.