Laos limits travel ahead of ASEAN meet

Laos limits travel ahead of ASEAN meet

LAOS: Laos will restrict travel to its capital Vientiane and close schools and government offices for security reasons when it hosts a major meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations next week.

Laos will host the annual meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers, followed by talks with the group's major diplomatic partners and a meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum, the region's main security forum, from July 24 to July 29.

The school and office closings to facilitate the movement of delegates to the meeting were announced by Lao State Radio. Travel restrictions were listed in a circular dated July 14 and distributed to the diplomatic community in Vientiane by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The regulations, covering July 20 through July 30, include banning ordinary foreign tourists from entering or transiting Vientiane, and forbidding foreign journalists without official permission from the ministry to enter the country.

Drivers and trucks carrying goods from nearby Thailand, as well as for other persons, such as representatives of international organizations and investors seeking to enter the capital also require special permission. -- AP