The agreement was signed at the SCO Secretariat by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane and SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev, marking a new milestone in relations between Laos and the regional organization.
During their meeting, Thongsavanh thanked the SCO for its support and described the agreement as an important step toward expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest. He said Laos looks forward to working closely with the SCO Secretariat and member states to identify practical areas of collaboration in line with evolving regional and global priorities.
The foreign minister said the SCO's guiding principles, known as the "Shanghai Spirit"—including mutual trust, sovereign equality, and respect for non-interference—are consistent with Laos' foreign policy.
He reaffirmed Laos' commitment to strengthening cooperation with the SCO, particularly in economic development, trade, investment, transport, tourism, digital transformation, and regional connectivity, while expressing confidence that the organization would continue supporting the country's socio-economic development through its cooperation mechanisms.
Secretary-General Yermekbayev welcomed Laos as a Dialogue Partner and reaffirmed the SCO's commitment to expanding cooperation with the country.
Established in 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising 10 member states: Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Laos began exploring Dialogue Partner status in 2023. At the 2025 SCO Summit in China, member states approved the country's admission, paving the way for the formal signing of the agreement. Laos is now among 15 Dialogue Partners of the organization.