CARACAS, Monday April 23, 2007 | Update
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.
04:20 PM. Western Hemisphere. Colombian President Álvaro Uribe said on Tuesday that governments should ensure citizens' rights to live on the border, in reference to a political and diplomatic crisis with Venezuela and its effects on border residents.