Laos Joins SCO Plus Meeting for First Time, Expanding International Presence

Laos participated for the first time as an official SCO Dialogue Partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Plus Meeting held in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, from August 31 to September 1. President Thongloun Sisoulith led the Lao delegation. The meeting, themed "The United Nations as a Key Element of a Fair World Order: The Contribution of the SCO Plus States to the Formation of a Multipolar World," brought together leaders and representatives of SCO member states, dialogue partners, and observer states. Addressing the meeting, President Thongloun reaffirmed Laos’ support for multilateralism and the central role of the United Nations in promoting peace, stability, and sustainable development. He welcomed Laos’ new dialogue partnership with the SCO and pledged constructive participation in regional cooperation. Laos proposed four priority areas for cooperation: agriculture and food security; digital transformation; transport, connectivity, and integration; and banking and financial cooperation. On the sidelines, President Thongloun held bilateral meetings with leaders of Kyrgyzstan and Belarus, as well as the SCO Secretary-General, to discuss future cooperation. Additionally, Lao leaders sent a joint congratulatory message to their Vietnamese counterparts on the occasion of the 81st Anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, September 2, 2026, extending their warmest sentiments of comradeship and brotherhood, together with their highest regards.