Laos welcomes opening of Turkish Embassy, says envoy
Turkey's first ambassador to Vientiane says bilateral ties will enhance further as embassy becomes operational
ANKARA
Lao People’s Democratic Republic welcomes the opening of the Turkish Embassy in the country, Ankara's first ambassador to Vientiane said on Wednesday.
"The authorities of Laos are very pleased that we opened an embassy here," Ahmet Idem Akay told Anadolu Agency ahead of Turkish foreign minister's official visit.
Akay said Mevlut Cavusoglu's visit will be the first visit to Laos from Turkey at foreign ministers level.
Cavusoglu will pay a two-day visit to Laos on Wednesday and meet his Laotian counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith.
The ministers will discuss the bilateral relations and prospects to enhance cooperation between the two countries.
"The relations between the two countries will enhance further and our people will know each other better as the embassy becomes operational," Akay said.
Akay said the bilateral trade volume between the two countries was $5.9 million in 2017 and it reached $6.4 million in the first eight months of 2018.
"There is possibility of cooperation between the countries especially in the fields of education, health, agriculture and tourism," he added.
Reporting by Tugcenur Yilmaz and Furkan Mercan:Writing by Diyar Guldogan
