The small country of Laos has gained spotlight of international media with the 10th ASEAN summit to be held here next week.

About 800 journalists from foreign media are expected to cover the summit and related meetings, according to the Lao Foreign Ministry.

International media staff have arrived in Laos' capital of Vientiane since Monday and set up their equipment in the press center in the newly-built Lao International Trade Exhibition and Conference Center, which will be the venue of the summit.

"The arrival of the (international) press,.is the first time the mass media has been welcomed to Laos for an international event and is a historic occasion for the country since it opened itself up to the world in the late 1980s," said local newspaper Vientiane Times Thursday.

The summit and its related meetings held from Nov. 25 to 30 will gather leaders and officials from 10 ASEAN member countries and China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand and Russia.

They will discuss improving economic and political ties among ASEAN member countries and between ASEAN and its partners.

Senior officials from the ASEAN members and partners Thursday morning kicked off the Senior Officials Meeting to prepare documents for the summit.

Source: Xinhua