Laos formally given status of SCO dialogue partner

Laos and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) signed a memorandum on granting Vientiane the status of a Dialogue Partner at a ceremony at the SCO Secretariat in Beijing on Friday.

During the signing ceremony, Lao Deputy Prime Minister Phomvihane highlighted that Vientiane hopes to strengthen ties across the region and leverage its unique position as an ASEAN member to connect the bloc with the SCO.  This milestone pushed Laos as a strategic bridge for collaboration between Southeast Asia and the broader Eurasian region.