Guwahati: To enhance people to people contact between two South East Asian neighbours, India and Laos will soon have a direct flight connectivity as part the initiatives to increase cultural exchange and bilateral trade between two countries.
“Direct flight connectivity between the two countries is in final stage of approval and very soon India and Laos will have direct flight,” Ravi Shankar Aisola, Ambassador of India, Lao PDR said.
Addressing a joint press conference along with his Lao counterparthere, Mr Aisola said that process set out by Prime Minister Narendra during his visit to the landlocked tiny country is taking shape and very soon we will have direct flight between the two countries.
“Routes and other details are being worked out,” Aisola said adding that Indian companies can take advantage of the various incentives offered by the Laos government like Export Promotion Zones to set upsmall scale manufacturing unit in the country. He also said that Laos being in the category of Least Developed Country gets preferential tariff policy from various other countries and Indian business will hugely benefit if they export materials from the country.
While Southan Sakonhninhom, Ambassador of Lao PDR said that Indian businesses houses could use Laos as gateway for gaining access to the ASEAN markets. He also urged Indian companies to increase investment in areas of power, tourism and agriculture in the country.
The Ambassador identified agriculture, defence, ICT, culture, education, health, trade and investment promotion, mining as priority areas of cooperation between the two countries that would give further impetus to bilateral relations. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Laos, a number of new initiatives were taken to promote people-to-people contacts, training and scholarship opportunities and expansion of private sector participation in trade and investment, as well as in health and education.
Landlocked Laos is surrounded on three sides by China, Vietnam and Cambodia.India’s investment to the country is around 150 millon dollar way beyond China’s six billion dollar. (UNI)
