India, Laos seek deeper trade, tech ties; mark 70 years of relations

Laos Deputy PM Thongsavan Phomvihane called on President Droupadi Murmu during his official visit. They marked the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties and underlined the scope for deeper cooperation in trade, investment, and technology.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Laos, Thongsavan Phomvihane, who is currently on an official visit to India, called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday, with both sides underlining the scope for deeper cooperation in trade, investment and technology.

Celebrating Civilisational Ties and 70th Anniversary

Welcoming Phomvihane on his first visit to India, President Murmu said that India and Laos share close civilisational ties, reflected in the common heritage of Buddhism and the Ramayana. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which the President called a "significant milestone" in the bilateral relationship.

Deepening Bilateral Cooperation

According to an official release, the President noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Laos in October 2024 to participate in the ASEAN-related Summits, and several agreements were concluded during that visit, giving "fresh momentum" to bilateral cooperation.

On trade, the President said bilateral trade between India and Laos has grown, but added that "there remains considerable scope for us to make further progress together in both trade and investment."

President Murmu said India would be happy to expand cooperation with Lao PDR in areas such as information and communication technology (ICT), health, medicine, agriculture, irrigation, manufacturing, renewable energy, and electricity. "We are also keen to share our experiences in the fields of innovation and the knowledge-based economy," she said.

The President expressed happiness that the development partnership between the two countries has become stronger and is aligned with the aspirations of Lao youth and the country's socio-economic development needs.

The two leaders agreed that close cooperation between India and Lao PDR can bring immense benefits to the peoples of both countries, according to the release.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan also shared the details of the meeting in a post on X, stating that "The President noted that our countries share close civilizational ties, reflected in our common heritage of Buddhism and the Ramayana. She said that the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations is a significant milestone in India-Lao PDR bilateral ties."

Phomvihane arrived in India on June 1, and his visit continues until June 3. (ANI)

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