The President of Mongolia Mr. Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh and the President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Mr. Thongloun Sisoulith held official talks at the State Palace on June 11, 2024.

At the beginning of the talks, President Mr. U.Khurelsukh underlined the long historical ties, cultural heritage, and friendly relations between Mongolia and Laos and expressed his confidence that the State Visit to Mongolia by the Head of the State of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic after 17 years will give an important impetus to further advancing and expanding the traditionally friendly relations and cooperation of the two countries.

The President of the Lao PDR Mr. Thongloun Sisoulith thanked President U.Khurelsukh for the cordial invitation to visit Mongolia and expressed his sincere gratitude to the Government and people of Mongolia for the friendly and warm hospitality extended to the Lao PDR delegation. He also acknowledged the enduring tradition of mutual support between the two countries during challenging times and expressed his appreciation to the people of Mongolia for their unwavering support of Laos in all times of change and reforms involving regions and countries and their continued dedication to upholding the independence and sovereignty of Laos.

The parties agreed that the State Visit by the President of the Lao PDR to Mongolia is of great significance in identifying the prospects and direction of cooperation in the next six decades, based on the “Principle of Mutual Support and Mutually Beneficial Cooperation” between Mongolia and Laos.

The Heads of State commended that the initiatives agreed upon during the State Visit by the President of Mongolia to Laos in 2023 are actualizing and expressed their confidence in opening a new chapter of the history of bilateral relations, capitalizing on the momentum and building on the previous achievements.

In an effort to overcome the challenges of being landlocked developing countries, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to further enriching the bilateral relations with trade and economic contents and intensifying cooperation in the areas of politics, defense, transportation, agriculture, education, culture, and health.

The Heads of State signed an “Intergovernmental Agreement on Veterinary Hospitals and Animal Quarantine” last year. The parties agreed that the exchange of an International Veterinary Certificate for the Export of Frozen Sheep, Goat, Beef, and Horse Meat from Mongolia to Laos will make a tangible contribution to the broadening of trade and economic cooperation including food and agriculture sectors.

The President of Mongolia U.Khurelsukh emphasized the significance of commencing direct flights and opening new air routes between the two countries that will contribute to increasing the two-way flow of people and the export and import of goods as well as creating a favorable business environment. In this regard, the President underlined the importance of starting collaboration in passenger and cargo transportation in accordance with the Air Services Agreement concluded between the two countries.

The Lao side expressed their eagerness to study the possibility of establishing an area dedicated to Laos as a symbol of friendship between the two countries in the “Eco International Park” to be built in Ulaanbaatar within the framework of the “Billion Trees” national movement initiated by the President of Mongolia. The two parties agreed that this will make a tangible contribution to strengthening people-to-people ties and friendship between the young and future generations of the two countries.

The Heads of State of the two countries highlighted the good tradition of supporting each other and actively working together in the regional and international arenas and reaffirmed their commitment to deepen cooperation within the framework of the United Nations and other international organizations.

President U.Khurelsukh congratulated and wished great success to the Lao PDR on assuming the important role of the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2024. Furthermore, the President expressed his gratitude to the Lao PDR for their commitment to continue to support Mongolia’s aspiration to become a dialogue partner of ASEAN and to join regional processes such as APEC. The Lao side expressed their appreciation for handing over carpets to be displayed in the residence of the President of Laos.

As an outcome of the official talks, the parties signed bilateral cooperation documents aimed at strengthening the legal environment of the two countries.