Laos Prime Minister Set to Meet with Japan Prime Minister Ishiba During Visit to Japan From Tuesday

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:46 JST, January 17, 2025

Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone will visit Japan from Tuesday to Thursday and meet with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Japan announced.

The two are expected to agree to establish a framework for vice-ministerial level dialogue on foreign affairs and defense at the meeting, which is being arranged to take place on Tuesday. They will also discuss ways to strengthen cooperation as this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Laos.

The pair are meeting for the first time since October, when they met for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Laos.

There is a fear that Laos may be caught in a debt trap with its debt to China rising rapidly due to loans for its power-related facilities. Japan hopes to attract Laos by strengthening security ties, and also aims to serve as a bridge between ASEAN and the United States amid concerns that the administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will neglect Southeast Asia.