Dhaka: Bangladesh and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) emphasized the necessity for collective efforts to diversify and enhance trade and investment flows, acknowledging that the current bilateral trade level falls short of its significant potential. Both nations agreed to foster stronger business-to-business interactions, including exchanges between their respective national apex chambers of commerce and industry.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the Lao PDR expressed a keen interest in deepening cooperation in the pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors of Bangladesh. These topics were discussed during the inaugural Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in Vientiane, marking a pivotal moment in the 38-year-old diplomatic relationship initiated in 1988. The consultations were led by Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Asad Alam Siam, and Laos’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anouparb Vongnorkeo.
A significant aspect of the consultations was the focus on bolstering bilateral trade and economic cooperation, as stated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Both parties explored several mutual interests and identified potential pathways for enhanced collaboration in various fields, including trade and investment, capacity building, human resource development, diplomatic training, ICT, healthcare, eco-tourism, climate change, consular cooperation, and higher education.
Furthermore, Bangladesh and Lao PDR agreed to initiate a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cultural Cooperation to enhance people-to-people contacts, an MoU on Labor Cooperation to recruit more workers from Bangladesh, exchange programs for young diplomats, and promote tourism cooperation between the two countries. They also planned to share insights and experiences on smooth transition strategies from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.
On consular issues, Bangladesh requested Laos to simplify visa procedures for Bangladeshi citizens holding ordinary passports, to which the Lao side responded positively. Bangladesh expressed gratitude for Lao PDR’s support on various international issues and sought continued support for the dignified repatriation of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar.
Lao PDR reaffirmed its support for Bangladesh’s aspirations to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner and a member of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). As climate-vulnerable nations, Bangladesh and Lao PDR showed interest in collaborating to combat the adverse impacts of climate change, agreeing to exchange experiences and best practices on climate adaptation and mitigation strategies to enhance resilience and strengthen their capacities to tackle climate-related challenges.
An outcome document was signed by the leaders of the Bangladeshi and Lao delegations. The meeting concluded with a reception dinner hosted by the Deputy Foreign Minister of Lao PDR in honor of the Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary and his delegation.