Laos and Republic of Korea agree on official visa exemption
Laos and the Republic of Korea have agreed to visa exemptions for diplomats and officials, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 4, 2009.
The agreement was signed at a bilateral meeting between Laos and the Republic of Korea in Jeju, south of Seoul, as Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh and a Lao delegation attended the ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit from June 1-2. The Korean side at the meeting was led by President Lee Myung-bak.
At the bilateral meeting, Laos and the Republic of Korea also signed an agreement on grant aid and agreed to continued cooperation and relations between the two countries.
Hanyang University awarded an honorary doctorate in Economics and Administration to Mr. Bouasone for his outstanding leadership in development. Hanyang is one of the most prestigious private universities in the Republic of Korea.
During the two-day summit, the Lao delegation met with Korean investors from leading companies and invited them to do business in Laos, especially in priority areas identified by the Lao government.
On the final day of the summit, the leaders of ASEAN nations and the President of the Republic of Korea signed a joint statement on cooperation in economics and international security.
ASEAN nations also adopted a joint statement on boosting security, trade and socio-cultural ties, and finalised their comprehensive free trade agreement by signing its investment segment.
The trade Minister signed an investment agreement witnessed by ASEAN and Korean leaders, marking the completion of nearly five years of Free Trade Agreement negotiations between the Republic of Korea and ASEAN nations.
The summit also discussed developments over the 20 years of cooperative relations between Korea and ASEAN countries, future directions for progress and ways to tackle current global issues, such as the financial crisis and climate change.
Mr. Bouasone and his delegation returned to Laos on June 3 after achieving successful outcomes from the ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit.
In June last year Mr. Bouasone visited Korea in response to an invitation from Prime Minister Han Seung Soo. The Lao government has announced it will grant 15-day visa exemptions for Korean tourists and investors visiting Laos. Mr. Bouasone also proposed direct flights between the two countries as another way to facilitate tourism and investment. He suggested the first steps towards direct flights should be discussed by officials from both countries.
The two Prime Ministers reviewed their close relationship and reaffirmed their support for each other in international matters, especially issues related to ASEAN and the United Nations. The two sides agreed to seek ways to enhance their cooperation, especially from 2009 to 2012, when Laos will act as ASEAN's coordinator with Korea, which is an ASEAN dialogue partner.
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