Laos joins the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, led by China and Russia, becoming the third partner country in Southeast Asia.

Foreign media: Laos has joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), led by China and Russia, as a dialogue partner, amid dissatisfaction with ASEAN. This decision was confirmed at the SCO summit held in Tianjin, China on September 1.

President Thongloun Sisoulath of Laos thanked the support from the 10 member states of the Eurasia Group and stated that Laos is willing to participate in promoting regional peace and stability and sustainable development, believing that the principles of the SCO are consistent with Laos' guiding principles and foreign policy.

The SCO was established in 2001, founded by China, Russia, and some Central Asian countries, and now also includes countries such as India, Pakistan, and Iran.

Myanmar and Cambodia are already associate members, and Laos has become the third Southeast Asian country to participate. Anilou Iannone, a lecturer in Southeast Asian politics at Diponegoro University in Indonesia, said that Laos joining the SCO is a "practical and strategically significant" choice.

Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1843217724813315/

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