On 11 October 2024, on the sidelines of the 19th East Asia Summit in Vientiane, the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Zhang Ming held a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos Saleumxay Kommasith.
The Secretary-General expressed his gratitude to the Lao side for their invitation to participate in the East Asia Summit and commended Laos for its significant contributions to the advancement of ASEAN-SCO cooperation during its chairmanship of the Association. Mr Zhang Ming provided an overview of the principal aspects of the Organisation's activities, which are grounded on the principles of openness and mutual benefit. It was underscored that enhancing collaboration between the SCO and ASEAN will foster development and prosperity within the region.
Mr Saleumxay Kommasith offered a positive appraisal of the SCO's achievements and affirmed that Laos fully endorses the principles advocated by the Organisation, maintaining relations with all its member states in accordance with these principles. The Minister conveyed his aspiration to further intensify mutually beneficial cooperation with the SCO for the benefit of the countries and peoples of the region.