President to attend Road and Belt Forum in China
President Bounnhang Vorachit will attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation taking place from May 14 to 15 in Beijing, while economists say China’s Belt and Road Initiative will benefit the Lao economy. The president will lead a high-level delegation from Laos to the event, the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release. The high-level forum will be the first of its kind after Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 announced the Belt and Road Initiative, which consists of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. It aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road. The forum will discuss ways to overcome current global economic issues and define future directions, financial policies, economic development and connectivity. It also aims to promote partnership for development, the ministry said.
