BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 7. President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith paid an official visit to Kazakhstan on September 3–4, 2026, marking the first such visit in the history of bilateral relations. Among the key issues addressed during the talks were the expansion of bilateral trade and the development of transport connectivity.
For Laos, cooperation with Kazakhstan may be significant not only from the perspective of expanding bilateral trade, but also in terms of improving access to the markets of Central Asia and Europe. Kazakhstan, for its part, is interested in expanding the presence of its products in Southeast Asian markets and developing new transport routes.
During the meetings, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the considerable potential for increasing supplies of Kazakh goods to the Lao market. These include products from the metallurgical, food, petrochemical, agricultural, and chemical industries, as well as mechanical engineering and pharmaceuticals.
Against this backdrop, one of the initial areas of cooperation could be the expansion and diversification of Kazakh exports to Laos. At the same time, Astana’s interest extends beyond bilateral trade, as Kazakhstan views Laos as a potential link to markets in Southeast Asia.
"We see an opportunity to use our transport corridors to provide Lao products with access to the markets of Central Asia and Europe. Kazakhstan is interested in expanding supplies of its products to the markets of Southeast Asia through Laos. In turn, we highly appreciate Laos' success in transitioning from a "landlocked country" to a "country serving as a connecting link" in Southeast Asia. The Laos-China railway has significantly strengthened the country's transit potential and opened up new opportunities for connecting ASEAN with China and Europe," the President of Kazakhstan said.
For Laos, Kazakhstan’s potential significance lies primarily in its strategic transport position. At present, approximately 85% of all land freight transportation between China and Europe passes through Kazakhstan. The country is also developing transport infrastructure in the Chinese direction, including the Khorgos area, while the Kazakhstan-China logistics terminal at the port of Lianyungang provides cargo with access to international maritime routes.
This infrastructure could potentially also facilitate the movement of Lao goods westward. Over the longer term, a freight route could connect Laos with Kazakhstan through China and subsequently extend toward Central Asian and European markets. At the same time, such a route remains a potential prospect, as no established direct transport corridor between Kazakhstan and Laos currently exists.
For Kazakhstan, meanwhile, cooperation with Laos could create an opportunity to expand access to Southeast Asian markets. In 2021, the China-Laos railway was opened, connecting Laos with China’s railway network. In spring 2026, Laos approved the first stage of the Laos-Vietnam railway construction project, with its launch tentatively planned for 2030. Its implementation could potentially create additional opportunities for cargo to access Vietnam’s port infrastructure.
At the same time, Kazakhstan continues to strengthen the western direction of its transport routes. Over the past five years, the volume of transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route increased 5.6 times - from 800,000 to 4.5 million tons. The ports of Aktau and Kuryk are being developed, new terminals are being built, and berths are being reconstructed. By 2030, the combined capacity of Kazakhstan's seaports is planned to increase from 21.8 million to 30 million tons, while by 2029 the fleet is expected to be supplemented by eight new vessels, including dry cargo ships and container ships.
In this context, Kazakhstan can offer Laos a combination of three opportunities - supplies of its own industrial and agricultural products, access to transport infrastructure, and potential access for Lao cargo to broader markets in Central Asia and Europe.
However, specific agreements are needed to turn these opportunities into sustainable cargo flows.
"I propose that our governments focus on concluding relevant intergovernmental and interagency agreements in the field of transport and logistics," Tokayev said.
The practical implementation of these agreements will show how quickly cooperation between Kazakhstan and Laos can move from political statements to regular trade and transport operations. For Laos, Kazakhstan could become an additional channel to the markets of Central Asia and Europe, while for Kazakhstan, Laos could become a potential link for expanding its presence in Southeast Asia.
