Remarks With Laos Deputy Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith Before Their Meeting
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of StateWashington, DC
July 13, 2010SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I am delighted to welcome the deputy prime minister and foreign minister from Laos here to the State Department. We have been engaged in discussions about a number of important issues and I look forward to our meeting to further that discussion.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER THONGLOUN: Yes. Thank you very much.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you, sir.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER THONGLOUN: Thank you very much. Thank you.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. -
Last night I wanted to put up these two additional releases, but had connectivity problems at home. If I should disappear for awhile, that will be the reason. It once took Verizon two weeks to correct the issue, meaning I will not be able to post except from the office. Just a heads-up. This blog is not going anywhere (except to the White House.)
U.S. Signs Open Skies Accord with Laos
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
July 13, 2010
The United States and Laos today at the State Department signed a comprehensive Open Skies agreement to expand and liberalize their bilateral civil aviation relationship. Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs Jose W. Fernandez signed for the United States. Lao Ambassador to the United States Seng Soukhathivong signed for Laos. The Deputy Prime Minister of Laos, Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith, witnessed the signing.
The Open Skies agreement between the United States and Laos represents a market-oriented approach to aviation relations. The agreement will facilitate trade and tourism links with Laos and provide new commercial opportunities to airlines of the United States and Laos and the traveling public, while preserving our commitments to aviation safety and security.
The United States has previously reached Open Skies agreements with nearly 100 countries.
For more information about Open Skies, visit http://www.state.gov/e/eeb/rls/fs/2009/119760.htm.
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Secretary Clinton's Meeting with Lao Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
July 13, 2010
Following is the text of a joint statement by the United States and Laos issued on July 13, 2010 in Washington, D.C.
In this 55th anniversary year of bilateral diplomatic relations, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Lao Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith met today for a cordial and productive discussion of common interests in Southeast Asia, and of growing areas of bilateral cooperation.
The United States and Laos continue their longtime cooperation in the search for Americans missing from the Indochina War, on clearance of unexploded ordnance remaining from the war, and on fighting drug addiction and illegal drug trafficking. More recently, the two countries have been working closely together on preventing the emergence of pandemic diseases, and continue to gradually expand military-to-military cooperation following the exchange of defense attachés. Secretary Clinton and Deputy Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith welcomed the signing of an "Air Transport Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic" that will facilitate greater trade and tourism exchanges. They discussed the opportunities to expand the role of the U.S. Agency for International Development in the Lao PDR.
Secretary Clinton and Deputy Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith both emphasized that increasing exchanges and cooperation between the United States of America and the Lao PDR are producing mutual benefits and a constructive relationship contributing to peace, stability and cooperation for development in the region and the world.
While expressing his sincere thanks for the warm welcome extended him and his delegation, Deputy Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith invited Secretary Clinton to pay an official visit to the Lao PDR at a convenient time.
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