Representing the Russian side at the meeting were Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities and Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Russian-Lao Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation Irek Fayzullin, Deputy Defence Minister Vasily Osmakov, and General Director of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom Alexei Likhachev.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, friends,
I am very pleased to welcome you to Moscow.
Our meetings have become a good tradition. This is your second time at the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, and you also paid an official visit to Russia last July.
Let me once again congratulate you on your re-election as President. I am confident that your extensive political experience will continue to help you effectively address Laos’s socioeconomic development goals and pursue a constructive course in international affairs. We appreciate that Russia was your first destination for an international visit in the new presidential term.
Our relations are founded on friendship, mutual respect, and trust. Last year, we marked the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries.
We are also seeing positive momentum in bilateral trade. Last year, trade turnover doubled compared to 2024 levels. Although the overall volume remains relatively modest, the trend is encouraging. The intergovernmental commission continues to play an important role in advancing trade and economic cooperation.
We are actively cooperating on the international stage. New opportunities for partnership are opening up now that your country has become a dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
I know that your visit has a very busy programme, and I am confident that your stay in Russia will be both productive and rewarding.
Let me once again thank you and the members of your delegation for joining us on these special occasions and for celebrating Victory Day together with us.
President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith (retranslated):
Mr President of Russia,
I would like to express gratitude for the warm reception given to me and our delegation.
It is a great honour for me to participate, at your invitation, as head the Lao delegation at the celebrations marking the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. This is the second time we have taken part in the celebrations.
I am very glad to meet you again following our meeting in Moscow in July and last October at the 25th Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation held in China.
I am very happy to be able to meet you every year. For us, for me it is a great honour that we can meet every year.
I would like to thank you for your congratulations on my election as president. The Lao side is ready to continue our talks intended to expand the Russia-Laos interaction for significant practical results.
I would like to compliment you on successful celebrations of the 81st anniversary of Victory. The Lao delegation was attentively following your speeches at the parade and at today’s lunch, and we are ready for mutually beneficial cooperation.
Mr President, I would like to discuss some aspects of our cooperation during our meeting.
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