Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Thongloun Sisoulithm, started Monday a two-day official visit to Venezuela.

According to a press release from the Venezuelan People's Power Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the senior official plans to meet with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro and also with President Hugo Chávez to discuss political, economic and cooperation issues.

In addition, he will hold meetings with Minister of Infrastructure José David Cabello; Minister of Agriculture and Lands Elías Jaua; Minister of Energy and Petroleum and CEO of state-run oil holding Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa) Rafael Ramírez, and Minister of Environment Yubirí Ortega.

At the end of the visit, FM Maduro will host a luncheon for the Asian official and both of them will execute a number of bilateral agreements.

Laos is a landlocked socialist republic in southeast Asia, bordered by Myanmar (Burma) and the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west.