Laos, India willing to be linked by direct flights

Laos and India are willing to launch direct flights as part of initiatives to boost cultural exchanges and bilateral trade between the two countries in the near future, Lao state-run Vientiane Times online newspaper reported Wednesday.

India's ambassador to Laos Ravi Shankar Aisola recently said the direct flights between India and Laos were in the final stages of approval and very soon there would be flights between the two nations without the need to stop in a third country, according to the report.

"Routes and other details are being worked out," Aisola said, adding that Indian companies can take advantage of the various incentives offered by the Lao government like export promotion zones to set up small-scale manufacturing units in the country.

He also said that Laos, being in the category of a Least Developed Country, gets a preferential tariff policy from various other countries and Indian businesses stand to benefit greatly if they export materials from the country.

Lao Ambassador to India Southan Sakonhninhom said Indian businesses could use Laos as a gateway to gain access to Asean markets. He also urged Indian companies to increase investment in areas of power, tourism and agriculture in the country, according to the report.

India's investment in Laos is around 150 million U.S. dollars, much less than China's six billion U.S. dollars, according to the report.

According to the latest official data from Laos' Tourism Development Department, 4,547 Indian tourists travelled to Laos in 2014, a decrease of 0.09 percent from 4,551 in 2013. Endit