Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Elnur Mammadov

More than 2,000 Lao students studied at leading Azerbaijani universities in the 1970s, with many graduates now serving in senior government and Party positions in Laos—an enduring contribution Azerbaijani officials consider central to their support for Lao human resource development. Another important moment in bilateral history was the 1986 visit to Laos by Azerbaijan’s national leader, Heydar Aliyev, who led a high-level Soviet delegation to attend the 3rd National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party. These early links demonstrate that cooperation between the two countries extends well beyond three decades.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary this year, leaders and foreign ministers of both nations exchanged congratulatory messages, reaffirming their commitment to advancing cooperation. Building on this momentum, Laos and Azerbaijan held their first round of political consultations on Tuesday, covering a broad range of sectors. Officials noted similarities between the two nations, including their landlocked geography—Laos being the only landlocked country in ASEAN—and their close ties with major regional partners such as China, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Azerbaijan’s recently upgraded partnerships—with China elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Vietnam to a Strategic Partnership—were underscored as complementary to its growing engagement with Laos. Cooperation with Thailand, Laos’ largest trading partner, also provides a strong regional foundation for future collaboration.

During the consultations, officials identified promising areas for expanded cooperation. Agriculture remains a key sector for both economies, particularly as Azerbaijan continues diversifying. The mining industry—significant in Laos with its gold, copper, and potassium deposits—also aligns with Azerbaijan’s expertise in producing and exporting gold and other metals. Additional priority areas included education, logistics, renewable energy, and cultural exchange.

High-level political engagement has grown steadily. In October last year, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and President Thongloun Sisoulith of Laos met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, where they discussed forming a joint working group to expand collaboration in trade, investment, and education. President Sisoulith also recalled his visit to Baku in 1981, underscoring the personal and historical links between the two nations.

Both countries also cooperate closely in multilateral fora, especially within the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which Azerbaijan chaired from 2019 to 2023. A 2017 memorandum of cooperation between their foreign ministries paved the way for the current political consultations.

Looking ahead, both sides aim to expand their legal framework for cooperation, strengthen parliamentary exchanges, and convene the next round of consultations in Baku.

People-to-people ties remain a central pillar of the relationship. The Azerbaijan–Laos Friendship Association, founded in 2019, visited Azerbaijan last year, including the recently liberated territories of Shusha and Karabakh. Both countries also hope to boost tourism exchanges, promoting Laos’ renowned temples and cultural sites alongside Azerbaijan’s five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which attract up to three million tourists annually.

Promising opportunities exist in investment, particularly in agriculture, mining, and renewable energy. Azerbaijan also reaffirmed its annual offer of 100 scholarships for students from Non-Aligned Movement member states, encouraging more Lao students to study there.

As Laos and Azerbaijan enter their fourth decade of diplomatic relations, both nations remain committed to deepening cooperation across political, economic, and cultural fields—building on a partnership rooted in shared history and mutual priorities.

KPL