The White House said Tuesday the United States and Laos have opened a new era in their relations based on mutual respect and "a shared desire to heal the wounds of the past."
An announcement of a new partnership on issues of the economy, technology, education, security, the environment and human rights followed a meeting between Presidents Barack Obama and Bounnhang Vorachit in Vientiane.
Obama is the first sitting U.S. president to visit Laos, and announced Tuesday a three-year, $90 million contribution to Laos for a national survey of unexploded ordnance and efforts to clear the bombs dropped by U.S. forces in the 1960s and 1970s. About one-third of the 2.2 million bombs dropped on Laos remain undenotated and the lingering threat has slowed development in the country.
The White House said Obama expressed his appreciation for the cooperation of Laos in working to account for U.S. personnel who went missing during the war.
Laos, which currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has been criticized for its human rights record. Obama and Vorachit noted in their meeting Tuesday "the benefits of a candid and open dialogue" to narrow differences on rights.
Obama is seeking to reassure nations in Southeast Asia that the U.S. is firmly committed to its rebalance to the region. He will seek to further deepen ties and boost America's influence in the region as he attends the ASEAN summit and the East Asia summit this week.