Laos Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongsavan Phomvihane on Wednesday, 3 June said India and Laos must chart a future direction that delivers tangible benefits to both nations, as the two sides convened the 10th India-Laos Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) in New Delhi. The meeting, co-chaired with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, marked the first such review of bilateral cooperation since the 9th JCM held in Vientiane in 2018.

Opening remarks at the JCM

In his opening address, Phomvihane described the visit as a “great honour and privilege” and his first official trip to India in his current capacity. He said the engagement reflected a “longstanding friendship” rooted in shared “culture, religious and people-to-people ties” as well as mutual trust between the two governments.

The Lao Deputy PM said the JCM offered both sides an opportunity to take stock of progress achieved across nearly eight years since the previous commission meeting. “This year, we should continue to chart our future direction that bring about tangible benefit to our two nations,” he stated.

Seven decades of diplomatic ties

Phomvihane noted that India and Laos have built 70 years of diplomatic friendship, sustained by regular high-level exchanges. He specifically cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Laos in October 2024 as evidence of the “strong bond” between the two countries, even amid regional and global economic headwinds.

He said the visit aimed to strengthen cooperation across political, social, economic, trade, cultural exchange and capacity-building tracks. Vientiane, he added, “highly appreciates” India's assistance both bilaterally and within multilateral frameworks including ASEAN and the United Nations.

What is on the agenda

According to the Lao side, the discussions are expected to cover development partnership, trade expansion and people-to-people exchanges. Phomvihane expressed confidence that his talks with Jaishankar would form an “important step forward” for future cooperation.

Why this matters

The JCM comes as India deepens its Act East outreach across mainland Southeast Asia, with Laos — a current and rotating ASEAN partner — viewed as a strategically located neighbour bordering five countries. Notably, this is the first JCM held on Indian soil in over a decade, signalling renewed momentum after the long pandemic-era gap.

What comes next

Officials on both sides are expected to firm up follow-up timelines on development assistance, quick-impact projects and connectivity. The outcomes of the 10th JCM are likely to set the template for the next high-level exchange between New Delhi and Vientiane.