Due to the growth of bilateral cargo flows to and from Laos, Russia intends to expand sea transportation through the ports of Vietnam and open a railway connection through China.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced this on July 31 following his talks with Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith.
In 2024, Laos-Russia trade increased by 66 percent, and by another 20 percent for the first five months of 2025. The establishment of new transport routes is expected to facilitate the transportation of goods between the two countries.
During the talks, the two sides discussed in depth many areas of economic cooperation. Laos expressed special interest in the application of nuclear technology in addition to the energy sector. On the Russian side, enterprises are actively exploiting ferrous and non-ferrous metal mines in Laos, and are studying the possibility of developing bauxite mines.
In the agricultural sector, Laos demonstrates diverse export potential with items such as rice, forest products, peanuts, cotton, tea, tobacco, corn, sweet potatoes and sugarcane. The two sides also discussed the prospects for cooperation in the textile and hydropower industries, taking advantage of Laos' abundant water resources.
During the Lao leader's official visit to Russia, the two sides signed important memoranda of understanding on cooperation in the fields of water resources management and protection, education, and a road map for cooperation in the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in the 2025-2026 period.
