Laos has expressed its intention to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Deputy Foreign Minister Phongsavanh Sisoulath announced during the Eastern Economic Forum, according to RIA News.
On September 1, 2025 the country was granted dialogue partner status at the SCO summit in Tianjin, China. The next step could see Laos move towards becoming a full member of the regional bloc.
Laos at a glance:
- Official name: Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)
- Capital: Vientiane
- Population: around 7.7 mln (2025)
- Area: 236,800 sq km
- Official language: Lao
- Government: socialist republic with a one-party system
- Currency: Lao kip (LAK)
- Key industries: hydropower, agriculture (rice, maize, coffee), mining, tourism
- Neighbours: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, China
Laos is the only landlocked nation in Southeast Asia. In recent years it has deepened cooperation with China through the Belt and Road Initiative and is positioning itself as an important link in regional transport and energy projects.
Kursiv also reports on what initiatives president Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed at the summit.
