DHAKA, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh and Laos agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment and tourism sectors.
The broad-based agreement came at a meeting between Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain and visiting Laotian First Vice-Foreign Minister Phongsavath Boupa here Saturday, private news agency UNB reported.
This is the first high-level official contact between the two countries since they established diplomatic ties in 1988.
"We discussed how to develop our cooperation in trade, investment and tourism and increase people-to-people contact," Bouph was quoted as saying.
He said the two sides agreed in principle to ease the visa regime by offering on-arrival visa for officials and businessmen and exempt visa for holders of diplomatic passport.
Boupa hinted that Laotian businessmen might be interested in buying medicine from Bangladesh considering its quality and price as Laos imports medicines.
The two sides also discussed how to improve connectivity between Bangladesh and Laos, the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia with a 6 million population.
The two sides hinted air and road links in the future. Presently, Bangladesh and Laos are connected by indirect air links through Bangkok.
Touhid said, "The visit sets the foundation of bilateral cooperation, as both the countries want to increase trade and economic cooperation."
Bangladesh and Laos have no diplomatic missions in each other's capital.
Touhid said they agreed to set up honorary consular as a first step towards establishing missions.
