US State Secretary Antony Blinken will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi next week in Laos as the country prepares to host senior officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), reported Voice of America (VOA).
Continuing with its massive crackdown in a human trafficking and cyber frauds case relating to Laos and other Southeast Asian countries, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested four key accused from Delhi, the agency said on Tuesday.
A recent report suggests that the country's debt has nearly doubled, reaching USD 950 million in 2023, up from USD 507 million in 2022. The majority of this debt is owed to China, according to local news outlet, The Laotian Times.
In the deepening of India-Laos ties, apart from years of bilateral engagements, shared cultural linkages and heritage between the two nations have played a significant role.
As Laos continues to position itself as a premier tourist destination, supported by enhanced connectivity and collaborative efforts with India, both countries anticipate a fruitful partnership that will further enrich their cultural and economic ties.
India attaches high priority to ASEAN's theme of enhancing connectivity and resilience, under the chairmanship of Laos, and is working with the partner countries in promoting connectivity in the region, the Indian Ambassador to Lao PDR, Prashant Agrawal said on Sunday.
"Our relations with Lao PDR are civilisational. We have very historically close ties, which are underpinned by the exchanges of Buddhism and also prevalence of Ramayana in Laos' popular culture," Ambassador Agrawal told ANI.
The document issued by the Laos government on Wednesday said that Chinese nationals travelling to Laos may visit the country visa-free for up to 15 days as part of a group tour.
Five locations in the three states were subjected to thorough searches by NIA teams as part of the agency's crackdown on individuals/travel agents involved in the trafficking of vulnerable youth from India to the Golden Triangle SEZ in Laos.
The Nagaon District Magistrate in Assam on Sunday issued an order to initiate a magistrate inquiry into the killing of two suspected poachers in Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary under the jurisdiction of Juria police station.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday directed the Chief Secretary of the state to immediately launch an inquiry to investigate the killing of two suspected poachers at Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary.