President concludes Laos visit today | leaves for Cambodia

13 Sep, 2010
by Bhaskar

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil is concluding the first leg of her two nation visit in South East Asia today. On the last day of her Laos visit, she is going to address the India-Lao Business forum meet, in which the business communities of India and Laos are coming together for the first time. About 45 Indian business representatives including CII, FICCI and Assocham are attending the meeting. Few agreements in respect of investments and projects in different fields are likely to be signed today.

Earlier, India has announced a line of credit of over 72 Million dollars besides preparing ground for strengthening business relations between the two countries. India and Laos also signed an agreement extending cultural and educational exchanges programmes.

AIR correspondent M.S. Lakshmi reports that President Pratibha Devisingh Patil’s state visit to Laos has marked the new beginning in the relations between India-Laos. The first presidential visit to Laos after 1959 has not only assumed significance politically but also has accelerated the pace of implementation of various measures that both the courtiers have been taking since years to strengthen the relations on cultural, educational, social and trade grounds.

Under the purview of India’s Look East Policy, now the two countries are looking for modern content to their relationship especially by expanding mutual Business prospects. Besides giving loans for infrastructure building, India is now looking forward for opportunities to invest in Power, Mining, Infrastructure building and Services as the Indian private business sector started showing interest to invest in Laos.

The President will be leaving for Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia on her second leg of her two nation visit.