The foreign ministers of North Korea and Laos agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in fields ranging from education, sports and tourism to foreign affairs on Wednesday, aiming to elevate “the traditional bonds of friendship” between the socialist states.

In a meeting at Pyongyang’s Mansudae Assembly Hall, North Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Son Hui and her Laotian counterpart Thongsavanh Phomvihane emphasized the need for regular high-level visits between their countries and joint consultative mechanisms to advance cooperation, Vientiane’s foreign ministry said in a press release Thursday.