By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is in Vientiane, Laos, for the ASEAN Summit, held his first summit with Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith on Oct. 10 (local time).
 

President Yoon congratulated the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) on the successful hosting of the ASEAN Summit, and expressed his pleasure that bilateral relations have been strengthening in various fields, including investment, infrastructure, environment, labor, and people-to-people exchanges, since the reestablishment of diplomatic relations in 1995. 

The President also expressed his interest in and support for our business activities in Laos and the safety of the people, saying that Korea, as Lao PDR's top three development cooperation partners and top five investors, will continue to help Lao PDR achieve its goal of becoming a middle-income country by 2030.

In response, President Thongloun expressed his gratitude for Korea's support to Laos in various aspects, and called for further mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

The two leaders agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a new level by establishing a 'comprehensive partnership' on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Laos next year. 

The two sides agreed to expand cooperation in future-oriented fields such as climate change and digital, based on the EDCF Framework Agreement, the Climate Change Cooperation Framework Agreement, and the MOU on Greenhouse Gas Reduction through Deforestation Prevention, which were signed today.

The President also explained his government's efforts to realize a unified Korean Peninsula of freedom, peace, and prosperity, and expressed his appreciation for the role of Lao PDR, the ASEAN Chair, in the process of upgrading the ASEAN-ROK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.