Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached the capital Vientiane for a two-day visit to Laos. The Prime Minister will participate in the 21st ASEAN-India Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit here. The summit will be held in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. This year Laos is the host and current chair of the ASEAN summit.
Before leaving for Laos, PM Modi described it as a special occasion on the social media platform X. The PM wrote 'This is a special year, as we are celebrating a decade of our Act East policy, which has benefited India.
Laos, like China, has a communist government. It shares its borders with China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Its area is equal to the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and the population is around 77 lakhs. Laos is dominated by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and Thongloun Sisoulith is its President. He is the first person to hold this post who does not have any military background. Before gaining independence in 1954, Laos was under French rule. In 1997, Laos became a member of ASEAN, and in 2013 it gained membership of the World Trade Organization.
India and Laos have had strong relations for decades. Diplomatic relations were established between the two countries in 1956. Since then, bilateral visits have been taking place from both countries. India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru visited Laos in 1954. After this, Atal Bihari Vajpayee made an official visit to Laos in 2002. Manmohan Singh in 2004 and Prime Minister Modi in 2016 visited Laos to participate in the ASEAN-India Summit.
During the Corona pandemic, India had sent 50 thousand doses of Covaxin and medicines to Laos. During the recent cyclone Yagi, India had also sent disaster relief material worth about one lakh dollars to Laos.
Apart from this, India has historical, cultural, and civilizational relations with Laos. Buddhism and Ramayana are part of the shared heritage of both countries. Between 15 and 31 January this year, 14 artists of the Royal Ballet Theatre of Laos also participated in the 7th International Ramayana Fair in India.
What did PM Modi say on his Laos visit?This time too, PM Modi will participate in the ASEAN-India Summit and East Asia Summit in Laos. He stated on his Laos visit and said that the East Asia Summit will provide an opportunity to establish peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. The PM has written that India shares close cultural and civilizational ties with this region including Laos PDR.
Leaving for Lao PDR to take part in the 21st ASEAN-India and 19th East Asia Summit. This is a special year as we mark a decade of our Act East Policy, which has led to substantial benefits for our nation. There will also be various bilateral meetings and interactions with various.
Talking about bilateral trade between India and Laos, trade worth about $112.6 million has taken place in the current financial year. This includes imports of $99.7 million and exports of $12.9 million from India. After the decline due to the Corona epidemic, trade between the two countries has registered a growth of 23.4 percent this year. Talking about exports, India sends pharma products, vehicles, machinery, and mechanical appliances to Laos. At the same time, our country imports precious metals and items made from it, wood, and wooden items from Laos.
Why is Laos important for India?Laos is a small country but due to its geographical location, it is considered strategically and commercially very important for India. It shares its border with China and Myanmar, hence being surrounded by China and Myanmar, this country is considered strategically important for India. It is an important pillar of India's Indo-Pacific vision, and its importance increases due to China's increasing interference in the South China Sea. Talking about the business perspective, it has always been important due to the geographical location of Laos in Southeast Asia.
How important Laos is for India can be gauged from the fact that the country's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru visited Laos in 1954 and the first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad visited Laos in 1959. India also played an important role as the Chairman of the International Commission for Supervision and Control (ICSC) in liberating Laos from French occupation. ICSC was established in July 1954 based on the Geneva Treaty, its objective was to end the hostility between India and China and withdraw the French colonial powers from Laos.
