Swaraj meets Laotian counterpart Kommasith, holds bilateral talks

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday met her Laotian counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith and held wide-ranging talks to enhance cooperation in key areas like defence, trade, energy and agriculture.

Swaraj, who is in Laos on a two-day visit, co-chaired the 9th Joint Commission Meeting with Kommasith as the two leaders laid out the roadmap for cooperation and partnership.

The ministers held wide-ranging discussions covering cooperation in agriculture, trade and investment, defence, education, culture, Information Technology, energy and mining, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Swaraj and Kommasith had constructive discussions during the meeting, he said in a tweet.

"Swaraj offered to share India's expertise and experience towards supporting developmental needs of Laos, taking the total offer of grant and line of credit proposal to USD 250 million," Kumar said.

On Thursday, she attended an Indian community event here and interacted with participants.

During her two-day visit, Swaraj will also call on Laos Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith.