KPL
On the occasion of the official visit of Thongloun Sisoulith, President of the Lao PDR, to the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Investment Promotion and Management Committee, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan, organised the first Lao-Azerbaijan Investment Promotion Forum in Baku on 14 October 2026.
The forum aimed to explore opportunities to expand trade and investment cooperation and provided a platform for business networking between enterprises from both countries. The event brought together 80 representatives from the public and private sectors across key industries, including energy, tourism, finance, logistics, manufacturing, consultancy services and construction.
The forum was officially opened with remarks by Dr Manothong Vongxay, Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Lao PDR, and Mr Anar Akhundov, Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Both dignitaries highlighted the strong relationship between the Lao PDR and Azerbaijan over the past 30 years, noting their mutual support in regional and international arenas. They agreed that both countries have significant potential to further expand trade and investment cooperation by leveraging their respective comparative advantages.
Dr Vanthana Nolintha, Standing Member and Permanent Secretary of the Investment Promotion and Management Committee, presented the Lao PDR’s investment policies and opportunities. He reaffirmed that the Lao Government strongly supports domestic and foreign private investment and prioritises improving the investment climate to facilitate business operations. He invited Azerbaijani businesses to explore investment opportunities in the Lao PDR across five key sectors: high-value agricultural processing; mineral processing, noting the Lao Government’s openness to downstream mining industries to generate domestic added value; petroleum, including oil exports from Azerbaijan to the Lao PDR and feasibility studies for constructing an oil refinery in the Lao PDR; logistics; and tourism.
The forum concluded with bilateral discussions among government officials on future mechanisms and opportunities to strengthen cooperation and exchange knowledge. Meanwhile, business representatives from both countries held business-to-business (B2B) discussions to explore commercial partnerships, particularly in energy trading, mineral processing and the establishment of an infrastructure development fund.
KPL
