Vientiane, June 22 (RHC)--  Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa began Wednesday an official visit to the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Valdés Mesa arrived in Laos from Vietnam, where he was received by senior government and communist party officials, including Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang.

Just as he did in Vietnam, the Cuban vice president will inform members of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) on the results of the recently held 7th Congress of the Cuban Communist Party.

The Cuban official's visit to Laos is in the context of growing friendship and cooperation relations, which were officially established in 1974.  Bilateral ties were further consolidated with last October's visit to Cuba of then Laotian President Choummaly Sayasone.