By Lee Jon-young

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is in Jakarta, Indonesia, for the ASEAN Summit, held his first bilateral meeting with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone on Sept. 7.

During the meeting, the President exchanged views on ways to develop bilateral ties and asked for Laos' support for the 2030 Busan World Expo.

The President said that as one of Laos' top three development cooperation partners, the Republic of Korea will continue to serve as a reliable partner in Laos' economic development drive. 

Prime Minister Sonexay responded that the two governments will continue to work closely together for the mutually beneficial development of the Korea-Laos relationship.

He praised the deepening of practical cooperation between the two countries in various fields, including trade and investment, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, public health, and defense, and said he looked forward to the Korean government's contributions in the fields of high technology and digital transformation. 

In response, President Yoon said he would continue to support the Lao government in areas such as digital transformation of Lao industry, labor, and sustainable development of the Mekong Basin.

The President also said that he looks forward to close cooperation with Laos as the ASEAN Chair next year. In response, Prime Minister Sonexay welcomed the ROK's unwavering commitment to ASEAN and urged the two countries to strengthen cooperation on ASEAN-related issues.