The transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Thongsing Thammavong (as translated): Mr Medvedev, it is a great honour for me to meet with you here in Laos.

The arrival of your delegation at the ASEM Summit is truly an honour for us, and an important sign of our friendship and cooperation. Your visit speaks to our friendly feelings and our long-established good relations.

Having met many Russian representatives at various levels, I have once again seen that we have retained our traditionally kind feelings and attitude toward each other, and your and your delegation’s current visit serves as proof of this.   

Dmitry Medvedev: Mr Thammavong, I am glad for the opportunity to meet you, and I absolutely agree that our counties are linked by long-established friendly relations, which have persisted and continue to develop.

I would also like to congratulate your, your colleagues and the Laotian people on hosting the ASEM Summit. This is recognition of the country’s role and its capabilities. I would also like to congratulate you on the country’s WTO accession, as it is a major event for developing…

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