Select font Arial Times New Roman
Character spacing (Kerning): Standard Medium Large
News /
Vladimir Putin met with Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Sonexay Siphandone, who has arrived in Russia to take part in the plenary session of the 10th anniversary Eastern Economic Forum on September 5.
The Russian delegation at the meeting included Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office – Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, and Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities, Co-Chairman of the Intergovernmental Russian-Lao Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation Irek Fayzullin.
* * *
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Prime Minister, friends, good afternoon.
I warmly welcome you to Russia, to Vladivostok.
You know our country well, though this is your first visit in such a capacity. I am confident that this will be both productive and highly informative.
The Eastern Economic Forum offers an opportunity not only for bilateral engagement but also for broader interaction with colleagues, as we host numerous partners from across the Pacific region.
Our bilateral relations continue to develop across all key areas, including cooperation between security agencies. This year, we will also mark the 65th anniversary of our diplomatic relations, coming up this October.
Welcome, Mr Prime Minister.
Prime Minister of Laos Sonexay Siphandone (retranslated): Mr President, Russian and Lao friends,
First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for being invited to participate in the 10th Eastern Economic Forum. It is a great honour for me to return to Russia after nearly 38 years, as I received my education in the Soviet Union.
It is also a privilege to meet with the President of the Russian Federation. I am well aware of your very busy schedule, and I deeply appreciate that you have taken the time to meet with the Lao delegation.
We greatly value the outcomes of the meeting between you and President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Thongloun Sisoulith, held in late July 2025. I would also like to take this opportunity to convey warm greetings from President Thongloun Sisoulith, along with his invitation for you to visit Laos at a time convenient for you. We deeply cherish the relations of friendship and cooperation between Russia and Laos.
<…>
September 4, 2025, Vladivostok