OREANDA-NEWS  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Lao Foreign Minister Salemsai Kommasit to discuss bilateral issues.

Lavrov flew to Vientiane on Thursday, and on Friday the minister will take part in the leadership meeting of the East Asian Summit.

"We have a good opportunity today to discuss bilateral cooperation and interaction (in the format) "Russia is ASEAN," the Lao Foreign Minister said at the beginning of the talks.

In turn, Lavrov expressed confidence in the successful holding of events by Laos.
Later, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that the ministers discussed the implementation of agreements previously reached at the highest level, as well as issues of "expanding trade, economic and humanitarian ties, strengthening coordination in international and regional affairs."

"The Russian side gave a positive assessment to the development of the Russia–ASEAN dialogue partnership during Laos' presidency of the Association this year," the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed.

The annual series of leadership meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries started in the capital of Laos on Tuesday, and on Friday the events will end with the meeting of the annual East Asian Leadership Summit, whose permanent participants include both ASEAN countries and a number of their dialogue partners, including Russia, China and the United States.