New Delhi

India and the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) have strengthened their bilateral partnership with the signing of three important agreements during the 10th India-Lao PDR Joint Commission Meeting held in New Delhi, as the two countries celebrate 70 years of diplomatic relations.

The meeting was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongsavan Phomvihane. Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, healthcare, energy, capacity building and cultural exchanges.

Speaking at the weekly media briefing on Friday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the two sides concluded agreements related to pharmacopoeia, cultural exchange and defence training.

He noted that India and Laos share a strong development partnership that includes cultural heritage conservation, community development projects and human resource capacity-building initiatives. These areas, along with economic and sectoral cooperation, featured prominently during the discussions.

The newly signed agreements are expected to add momentum to the bilateral relationship by expanding cooperation beyond traditional areas of engagement. The defence training agreement, in particular, reflects growing strategic cooperation, while the pharmacopoeia agreement is expected to strengthen collaboration in healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

India's development assistance in Laos has long focused on heritage conservation projects, Buddhist cultural sites and community-based development programmes. Capacity-building initiatives have also remained an important pillar of the relationship.

During the visit, Lao Foreign Minister Phomvihane called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President highlighted the deep civilisational links between the two countries, rooted in their shared Buddhist heritage and cultural traditions associated with the Ramayana.

She described the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties as a significant milestone in India-Laos relations and reaffirmed India's commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Jaishankar also underlined the historical foundations of the relationship, noting that the two countries are connected through longstanding cultural, civilisational and people-to-people ties that stretch back centuries.

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The Joint Commission Meeting served as a key event in the year-long celebrations marking seven decades of diplomatic engagement. Officials said the latest agreements reflect the evolution of India-Laos ties into a broader partnership encompassing culture, development, defence, healthcare and economic cooperation, with an emphasis on shared growth and regional stability.