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US and Laos agree to boost cooperative ties

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her visiting Lao couterpart Thongloun Sisoulith have agreed to boost cooperative ties between the two countries in the coming time.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her visiting Lao couterpartThongloun Sisoulith have agreed to boost cooperative ties between thetwo countries in the coming time.

In a jointstatement issued after their meeting in Washington DC on July 13,the two sides emphasised that increasing exchanges and cooperationbetween the US and Laos are producing mutual benefits and aconstructive relationship contributing to peace, stability andcooperation for development in the region and the world.

They welcomed the signing of an "Air Transport Agreementbetween the US and Laos " that will facilitate greater trade andtourism exchanges.

Additionally, they alsodiscussed the opportunities to expand the role of the US Agency forInternational Development in Laos .

The jointstatement said that the US and Laos continue their longtime cooperationin the search for Americans missing from the Indochina War, onclearance of unexploded ordnance remaining from the war, and on fightingdrug addiction and illegal drug trafficking.

More recently, the two countries have been working closely together onpreventing the emergence of pandemic diseases, and continue to graduallyexpand military-to-military cooperation following the exchange ofdefense attachés.

While expressing his sincerethanks for the warm welcome extended him and his delegation, ForeignMinister Thongloun invited Secretary Clinton to pay an official visit toLaos at a convenient time./.
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