Azerbaijan, Laos Seek to Strengthen Political and Economic Cooperation

Baku, The Gulf Observer: President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Thongloun Sisoulith held an expanded meeting in Baku on Tuesday to discuss bilateral relations and explore opportunities for strengthening political and economic cooperation.

Welcoming his Lao counterpart, President Ilham Aliyev expressed confidence that the official visit would further strengthen bilateral ties and create new avenues for cooperation between the two countries.

President Aliyev said the two leaders had already held a one-on-one meeting during which they discussed a broad range of bilateral issues, including political and economic relations and matters of mutual interest. The discussions continued with the participation of the two countries’ delegations.

He described Azerbaijan and Laos as friendly countries that actively cooperate on the international stage, expressing satisfaction with the existing level of political relations. He also emphasized the need to expand economic cooperation, noting that current trade and economic figures remained modest despite significant potential for growth.

The Azerbaijani president said his country was ready to consider practical investment projects in Laos and expressed hope that business communities from both sides would explore opportunities to develop mutually beneficial economic partnerships.

President Aliyev also noted that President Sisoulith would hold meetings with the heads of Azerbaijan’s parliament and government as part of his visit, providing further opportunities to discuss bilateral cooperation.

Highlighting the significance of the visit, President Aliyev said it was the first official visit by a Lao president to Azerbaijan, giving it special importance in the development of relations between the two countries.

He also thanked President Sisoulith for attending the Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku. Aliyev said Azerbaijan, having been unanimously selected to chair the organization, had worked over the past two years to contribute to its development.

He expressed confidence that the summit, attended by heads of state and government and other senior officials, would contribute to strengthening security and cooperation across Asia. He added that Azerbaijan’s foreign policy toward the continent was dynamic and results-oriented.

In his remarks, President Thongloun Sisoulith expressed gratitude to President Aliyev and the people of Azerbaijan for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to him and his delegation.

He said he was honoured to lead a high-level Lao delegation on an official visit to Azerbaijan at the invitation of President Aliyev. He also recalled his previous meeting with the Azerbaijani leader at the BRICS+ Summit in Kazan in October 2024, as well as their cordial exchanges at various international forums.

President Sisoulith said he had visited Azerbaijan and Baku in 1982 and was now impressed by the country’s rapid development and transformation.

He described his current visit as a historic milestone, noting that although diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Laos were established in 1995, this marked the first visit to Azerbaijan by a Lao president in an official capacity at the head-of-state level.

The Lao president expressed confidence that the visit would consolidate and expand the two countries’ traditional friendship and cooperation, opening a new chapter in their partnership.

The meeting underscored the shared commitment of Azerbaijan and Laos to strengthening bilateral relations, expanding economic engagement and enhancing cooperation on regional and international platforms.