VIENTIANE, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The first Confucius Institute in northern Laos, also the second in the country, has been inaugurated.

The institute will help further promote exchanges between universities of China and Laos, Li Baoguang, Chinese consul general in Laos' Luang Prabang, said at the opening ceremony on Friday.

It will also contribute to the cooperation between the two countries, Li added, noting that with the growing China-Laos ties, the institute was set up at the right time.

The institute was jointly established by Souphanouvong University and Kunming University of Science and Technology.

Kongsy Sengmany, deputy minister of education and sports of Laos, Bouakhong Namavong, deputy secretary of the provincial party committee and deputy provincial governor of Luang Prabang, and Wang Xueqin, president of Kunming University of Science and Technology also attended the ceremony.

They spoke highly of the role Confucius Institute has played in strengthening people-to-people exchange and cooperation between the two countries.