Russia, Laos Start Laros 2022 Joint Military Exercise

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th November, 2022) The joint Russian-Lao military exercise Laros 2022 with the participation of tank and motorized rifle units started in Laos on Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"The opening ceremony was held in the Lao People's Democratic Republic for the joint Russian-Lao exercise Laros 2022 with participation of military personnel of tank, motorized infantry units and reinforcement units of the (Russian) Eastern Military District and the People's Army of Laos," a statement read.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the district command and the combined arms formation, as well as the leadership of the general staff of the Lao army, motorized rifles and tank crews of the two countries.

The exercise is aimed at developing friendship between the peoples and the armed forces of Russia and Laos, Lt. Gen. Phanseng Bunphan, the deputy chief of the general staff of the Lao army, was quoted as saying by the Russian defense ministry.

The military cooperation allows Moscow and Vientiane to improve the defense potential of the two countries, Bunphan added.

"These joint exercises are becoming traditional. For the third time, our units in unified combat formations will work out joint actions to conduct a counter-terrorist operation under the motto Shoulder to Shoulder for Peace and Security," Russian Gen. Maj. Vladimir Kulikov said.

After the opening ceremony, the military personnel of Laos and Russia proceeded on T-72 BMS tanks to an area where further practical activities will take place, the statement read.

Moscow and Vientiane intensified military-technical cooperation in 2016, following the official visit of Thongloun Sisoulith, then-prime minister and now president of Laos, to Russia. In 2019, the first joint military exercise Laros took place on the Ban Peng training ground in Laos with participation of over 500 servicemen of the two countries.