Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Laotian counterpart, Thongsavanh Phomvihane, hailed the “high level” of bilateral ties during a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila, the Philippines, on Tuesday.

Russia is taking part in the July 21-24 gathering as a strategic partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). A possible meeting between Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the summit is also being worked out, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told RT.

Welcoming the Lao delegation, Lavrov praised the steady expansion of cooperation between the two countries.

“We appreciate the role the Lao Republic is playing in promoting the Russia-ASEAN strategic partnership, and highly appreciate the very efficient development of our bilateral relations,” he said.

Lavrov noted that Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith attended Russia’s Victory Day celebrations in Moscow in May, while Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone took part in last month’s Russia-ASEAN Summit in Kazan, which he described as “a success.”

“The meetings are regular. Our leaders indicate the new tasks, and I'm sure today is a good opportunity for us to see what our two ministries can do to contribute to their fast and efficient implementation,” Lavrov added.

Thongsavanh praised the “high level” of contacts between the Russian and Laotian leadership and described last month’s Russia-ASEAN Summit in Kazan as a success.

On the sidelines of the summit, Moscow and Vientiane signed a peaceful nuclear energy cooperation agreement. The deal provides the legal framework for building a Russian-designed small nuclear power plant in Laos, President Vladimir Putin said.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, this week’s ASEAN ministerial meetings in Manila will focus on implementing the agreements reached in Kazan, including a new five-year action plan on political, security, economic, and humanitarian cooperation. Lavrov is also expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings with regional counterparts during the gathering.