The BRICS Women’s Business Alliance and Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs have explored opportunities to strengthen business cooperation and expand support for women entrepreneurs, following a meeting in Vientiane on 29 October.
Mr. Maithong Thammavongsa, KPL Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Ms. Anna Nesterova, President of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance, discussed opportunities to strengthen business cooperation between BRICS and ASEAN and expand opportunities for women entrepreneurs in Laos.
A key area of discussion was the potential for closer cooperation between the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance and the ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs Network. The meeting also considered the possibility of establishing a representative office of the Alliance in Laos.
Mr. Maithong, who is also a Standing Member of the Steering Committee for Economic Diplomacy of the Lao PDR, welcomed the delegation during its working visit. He also noted the delegation’s planned participation in the BRICS-ASEAN Business Forum, held in Bangkok, Thailand, on 29–30 October 2026.
The Deputy Minister welcomed the growing relationship between the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance and the Lao Women’s Business Association, expressing support for further collaboration and joint initiatives.
Ms. Anna outlined the Alliance’s activities and progress since its establishment at the 12th BRICS Summit in 2020. She highlighted its work in encouraging cooperation among BRICS countries and creating new business opportunities for women entrepreneurs through multilateral initiatives and projects.
The Alliance has established representative offices in several countries, including Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, and has taken part in international business forums organised alongside BRICS summits. It has also engaged with international financial institutions and senior representatives from BRICS member countries.
The proposed representative office in Laos could further strengthen connections between business communities and create additional opportunities for women entrepreneurs, while supporting broader economic cooperation between Laos, BRICS and ASEAN.
