Australia’s Foreign Minister, Penny Wong traveled to Vientiane, Laos this week. The visit from 15-16 May, followed the successful visit to Australia by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos, Saleumxay Kommasith in October last year.
The visit built on Australia’s deep and enduring friendship with Laos of over 70 years and provided an opportunity for Minister Wong to listen to and understand Laos’ national priorities for trade and investment, development cooperation, and regional connectivity. Minister Wong’s time in Laos reflects the commitment made between our Prime Ministers last November when they announced an intention to elevate the Laos-Australia relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership.
Minister Wong held productive discussions with Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith, and Head of the External Relations Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Thongsavanh Phomvihane.
Discussions acknowledged the considerable changes underway in the region and navigating these changes together, including through ASEAN. Australia and Laos shared views on priorities for cooperation in education, growing human resource capacity, the energy sector, water resource management, and people-to-people links.
The visit confirmed Australia’s commitment to deepening its economic engagement with the region, including through the development of a Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, to be released later this year.
Australia and Laos will lift cooperation in the energy sector. Minister Wong and Laos’ Minister of Energy and Mines, Mr. Phosay Sayasone, signed the Laos-Australia Sustainable Energy Partnership which will work to support a more sustainable, reliable, and profitable energy sector in Laos.
To advance shared priorities for the environment and sustainability, Australia will partner with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Global Green Growth Institute to establish a national framework for participation in international carbon markets.
The friendship between the two countries is grounded in mutual respect and trust, forged through many years of close relations and longstanding people-to-people links. Minister Wong and Mr. Thongsavanh signed a Declaration of Shared Intent to establish a Laos-Australia Friendship Association to enhance dialogue, understanding, and people-to-people connections between Australia and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.
Australia and Laos will work together on shared goals with our regional partners, for example, through trilateral cooperation with Vietnam. Australia is pleased to be working with Laos and Vietnam on initiatives to share experiences in attracting high-quality foreign direct investment.
The Minister met emerging Lao business leaders from Australia’s university alumni network to discuss ways to build Laos’ future together. Australia’s alumni make an enormous contribution to Laos, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith. We are proud of this shared history and pleased we can continue to strengthen these people-to-people connections.
Australia’s support for Laos’ education sector was on display during the visit to Na Haidiew Primary School in Vientiane. Minister Wong met with Laos’ Vice Minister of Education and Sports, Dr. Sisouk Vongvichit and the school community. Australia’s support for the implementation of the new National Curriculum nationwide will help raise the education levels of Laos’ future workforce.
The Minister was pleased to announce further support for the COVID-19 vaccine and routine immunization, including at the sub-national level through a partnership with the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization, building on the USD 25.2 million provided to date.
Minister Wong reiterated Australia’s commitment to supporting Laos to deliver a successful ASEAN Chair in 2024. Laos has an important role to play in Southeast Asia’s future and Australia is committed to working together to build a safe, stable, and prosperous region where ASEAN and ASEAN-led institutions hold the canter.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2023/05/16/australian-foreign-affairs-minister-visits-laos-to-foster-friendship-and-cooperation/
Vietnam Airlines to Resume Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia Connecting Flight
Vietnam Airlines will restart its flight connecting the three major cities of Hanoi, Luang Prabang, and Siem Reap starting in July.
VNExpress reports that the airlines will operate three flights per week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and subject to demand, the frequency of flights will increase to five at the end of October this year.
The trans-Indochina route was suspended for years due to the Covid-19 pandemic; however, this flight is expected to stimulate the recovery of the regional tourism industry, trade, investment, and cultural exchange among Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
According to the report, Vietnam’s flag carrier also operates seven flights per week on a route connecting its capital city of Hanoi, Vientiane in Laos, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, and the southern Vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh.
The airlines started flights to Siem Reap in 2000 and Luang Prabang in 2006, while in 2019, the carrier transported nearly 400,000 passengers on its trans-Indochina routes.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2023/05/25/vietnam-airlines-to-resume-laos-vietnam-cambodia-connecting-flight/
100 Primary School Students Visit China to Celebrate International Children’s Day
One hundred top performing fifth graders from primary schools in Laos are currently on a visit to China to celebrate International Children’s Day.
The students, accompanied by 25 teachers, departed on Tuesday to participate in the sixth International Children’s Day celebrations being hosted by China.
Mr. Sisamouth Saenbountalath, the leader of the student delegation, said that the participating students are all fifth-graders from public and private primary schools throughout Laos who excelled at the national level in Lao language literature, mathematics, and science.
The celebration tour will last a total of 16 days (from 23 May to 7 June) and will include stops in several Chinese provinces.
The primary school students will travel to the provinces of Kunming, Beijing, Xi’an, and Fuzhou. In these provinces, students have the opportunity to visit notable institutions for cultural exchange, such as Tiger Hill Elementary School, Xinhua University, Beijing Bayi Elementary School, etc.
The primary purpose of the trip is to allow students to share their knowledge, ideas, and also interact and learn from an international community of students they meet in China.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2023/05/25/100-primary-school-students-visit-china-to-celebrate-international-childrens-day/
Vientiane Capital Mayor Visits Bangkok Governor to Exchange City Development Plans
The Mayor of Vientiane Capital met the Governor of Bangkok, Thailand and his delegation to discuss development plans of the two cities on Friday.
Lao Post reports that Mr. Atsaphangthong Siphandone, the Mayor of Vientiane Capital, visited the Governor of Bangkok, Mr. Chadchart Sittipunt to discuss cooperation between the two cities in the future.
The Vientiane Mayor discussed education, health, and tourism-related issues and the 2008 memorandum of cooperation project, that seeks to combat trafficking especially for women and children, during his meeting with the Bangkok governor.
The two leaders exchanged ideas about the quality of human resources in education sectors of the two capitals and their countries and the possibility of introducing technology to increase the effectiveness of teaching and learning (E-Learning).
Additionally, they discussed cooperation in the field of Telemedicine through assistance from Vajira Hospital and City Lab project at Navamindradhiraj University in Bangkok to train Lao and Thai health personnel.
In tourism cooperation, the two leaders exchanged ideas of a midnight economy that would enable the growth of night-time businesses and the promotion of the urban economy, including improving the quality of street food to attract more visitors.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2023/05/25/vientiane-capital-mayor-visits-bangkok-governor-to-exchange-city-development-plans/
Govt Approves Lao Tourism Year Campaign in May Cabinet Meeting
The government has approved the idea of promoting 2023-2024 as Lao Tourism Year, at the latest cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
In the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Sonexay Siphandone, the government emphasized on the importance of preparing for the Lao Tourism Year campaign, to strengthen the country’s tourism industry and boost economic growth.
The government noted that the Lao Tourism Year 2023-2024 will focus on attracting more tourists and creating sustainable jobs in the tourism sector. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will research successful tourism campaigns in other countries and hold seminars with entrepreneurs to learn from their experiences as well.
The government is confident that the Lao Tourism Year 2023-2024 will be a success as the country has a lot to offer visitors, including beautiful scenery, friendly people, and a rich culture.
The government has previously organized promotional programs to attract tourists, such as two Visit Laos Years, Visit Laos-China Year, and Lao Thiao Laos, which saw a large number of visitors, especially from China.
Tourism officials expect that 368,000 Chinese nationals will visit Laos this year, a 21 percent rise from 2022.
The Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism hopes to attract at least 1.4 million foreign tourists this year, despite a slump in visitor numbers last year compared to pre-Covid figures.
The meeting also discussed other important topics, such as economic and social development, national defense and security, foreign relations, and financial policy.
Additionally, the government directed central and local sectors to manage tasks strictly and decisively, including monitoring and evaluating various projects, forest fire management, and creating sustainable careers for those affected by development projects.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2023/05/24/govt-approves-lao-tourism-year-campaign-in-may-cabinet-meeting/
President of Laos to Attend “Future of Asia” Conference in Japan
President Thongloun Sisoulith will attend the Future of Asia Conference in Tokyo, Japan which is being held under the slogan, “Leveraging Asia’s Power to Confront Global Challenges” from 25-26 May.
The event will also be attended by other regional dignitaries, such as Lawrence Wong, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, Tran Luu Quang, Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of Sri Lanka, Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand and Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan.
The conference will discuss a range of topics from the importance of recognizing diversity in Asia, drifting global order and how that affects Asia and the role of innovation in promoting women’s participation and leadership in society.
Future of Asia is an international gathering where political, economic, and academic leaders from the Asia-Pacific region offer their opinions frankly and freely on regional issues and the role of Asia in the world.
Held by Nikkei every year since 1995, it is considered to be one of the most important global conferences in Asia.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2023/05/22/president-of-laos-to-attend-future-of-asia-conference-in-japan/
Laos Gears Up to Host ASEAN Tourism Forum 2024
Preparations are underway as Lao tourism authorities gear up to host the annual ASEAN Tourism Forum next year, which will take place in Vientiane Capital from 22-27 January.
According to Ms. Suanesavanh Vignaket, Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, the annual ASEAN Tourism Forum’s theme will be “Quality and Responsible Tourism-Sustaining Asean Future”, and it will feature a tourism exhibition where businesses and vendors will display and sell tourism-related products.
Ms. Suanesavanh said that the forum will provide an opportunity for Lao tourism operators to have direct access to their target markets, buy and sell tourism products, and network with fellow business owners.
She also noted that, during the event, the organizers will present the ASEAN Tourism Awards for 2023, which will encourage tourism and enable associated businesses to develop and improve their services.
The government and associated travel operators are currently making preparations to ready the opening and closing locations of the forum, the site of the tourism exhibition, and invitations to ASEAN member countries, international organizations, and other attendees. The forum is expected to bring more international tourists to Laos.
Laos previously hosted the ASEAN Tourism Forum in 2004 and 2013, which successfully publicized the country’s many tourist attractions. This year’s forum is a golden opportunity for Laos to showcase its tourism industry and reach a large global audience.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2023/05/16/laos-gears-up-to-host-asean-tourism-forum-2024/
Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Visits Laos to Foster Friendship and Cooperation
Australia’s Foreign Minister, Penny Wong traveled to Vientiane, Laos this week. The visit from 15-16 May, followed the successful visit to Australia by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos, Saleumxay Kommasith in October last year.
The visit built on Australia’s deep and enduring friendship with Laos of over 70 years and provided an opportunity for Minister Wong to listen to and understand Laos’ national priorities for trade and investment, development cooperation, and regional connectivity. Minister Wong’s time in Laos reflects the commitment made between our Prime Ministers last November when they announced an intention to elevate the Laos-Australia relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership.
Minister Wong held productive discussions with Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith, and Head of the External Relations Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Thongsavanh Phomvihane.
Discussions acknowledged the considerable changes underway in the region and navigating these changes together, including through ASEAN. Australia and Laos shared views on priorities for cooperation in education, growing human resource capacity, the energy sector, water resource management, and people-to-people links.
The visit confirmed Australia’s commitment to deepening its economic engagement with the region, including through the development of a Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, to be released later this year.
Australia and Laos will lift cooperation in the energy sector. Minister Wong and Laos’ Minister of Energy and Mines, Mr. Phosay Sayasone, signed the Laos-Australia Sustainable Energy Partnership which will work to support a more sustainable, reliable, and profitable energy sector in Laos.
To advance shared priorities for the environment and sustainability, Australia will partner with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Global Green Growth Institute to establish a national framework for participation in international carbon markets.
The friendship between the two countries is grounded in mutual respect and trust, forged through many years of close relations and longstanding people-to-people links. Minister Wong and Mr. Thongsavanh signed a Declaration of Shared Intent to establish a Laos-Australia Friendship Association to enhance dialogue, understanding, and people-to-people connections between Australia and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.
Australia and Laos will work together on shared goals with our regional partners, for example, through trilateral cooperation with Vietnam. Australia is pleased to be working with Laos and Vietnam on initiatives to share experiences in attracting high-quality foreign direct investment.
The Minister met emerging Lao business leaders from Australia’s university alumni network to discuss ways to build Laos’ future together. Australia’s alumni make an enormous contribution to Laos, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith. We are proud of this shared history and pleased we can continue to strengthen these people-to-people connections.
Australia’s support for Laos’ education sector was on display during the visit to Na Haidiew Primary School in Vientiane. Minister Wong met with Laos’ Vice Minister of Education and Sports, Dr. Sisouk Vongvichit and the school community. Australia’s support for the implementation of the new National Curriculum nationwide will help raise the education levels of Laos’ future workforce.
The Minister was pleased to announce further support for the COVID-19 vaccine and routine immunization, including at the sub-national level through a partnership with the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization, building on the USD 25.2 million provided to date.
Minister Wong reiterated Australia’s commitment to supporting Laos to deliver a successful ASEAN Chair in 2024. Laos has an important role to play in Southeast Asia’s future and Australia is committed to working together to build a safe, stable, and prosperous region where ASEAN and ASEAN-led institutions hold the canter.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2023/05/16/australian-foreign-affairs-minister-visits-laos-to-foster-friendship-and-cooperation/
Laos to Host 5th International Mountain Tourism Day
Laos has been chosen to host the 5th International Mountain Tourism Day and conference from 28 May to 1 June in Vientiane capital and Luang Prabang.
Deputy Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Mr. Ounthuang Khaophanh, met with a representative of China’s International Mountain Tourism Alliance on Thursday to discuss and prepare for the event.
Mr. Khaophanh welcomed the event and praised the Alliance for choosing Laos as the venue. He said that Laos has great potential for mountain tourism and that the event will provide a good opportunity to enhance tourism cooperation and showcase the country’s potential.
The event will feature a variety of activities, including a conference, exhibitions, and cultural performances. It is expected to attract over 1,000 participants from around the world.
The Ministry’s technical department will cooperate with the International Mountain Tourism Alliance to jointly implement the event. Laos will also invite foreign embassies in Laos, government departments, business operators, and the media to participate.
The International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA) is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2017 by the governments of China, France, and Switzerland. The goal of IMTA is to promote sustainable mountain tourism and to protect mountain ecosystems.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2023/05/15/laos-to-host-5th-international-mountain-tourism-day/
Khammouane Approves 71 French Colonial Buildings as Historical Heritage Sites
Khammouane Province has designated 71 French colonial buildings and houses as historical heritage sites for educational purposes and tourism.
Thakek District, located in Khammouane Province, Laos, is set to become a municipality by 2024, with Deputy Governor Singuan Inthalath announcing the decision on Friday.,
He said that Thakek has significant potential for investment, trade, and tourism.
Thakek is also home to some 71 French colonial-era buildings. Of these, 28 are state-owned and 43 are privately owned.
The old French buildings are currently undergoing review to be registered as national heritage. This will help to preserve them for future generations and allow people to learn about Thakek’s history under French colonization.
Thakek’s old French buildings have become one of the key tourist attractions for both locals and foreigners. The declaration of these buildings as heritage sites is expected to bring more tourists, boost tourism, and create jobs in Khammouane Province.
The decision to turn Thakek District into a municipality is a positive step for the development of the area. It will help to attract investment, promote trade, and boost tourism.
The old French buildings are a valuable asset to Thakek and their preservation will help to ensure that the area’s history and culture are preserved for future generations.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2023/05/15/khammouane-approves-71-french-colonial-buildings-as-historical-heritage-sites/
Lao-Thai Railway Completes Second Phase of Construction and Ready for Public Use
The Lao-Thai Railway is expected to start operations this year following the completion of the second phase of the railway construction, according to the developer.
Vientiane Times reports that the Phase II of the Lao-Thai Railway Construction Project has been completed and it is currently awaiting the finalization of the Thailand-Laos train license agreement before opening it to the public.
“We expect to launch the train service between August and October,” the developer of the project said.
The extension comprises a 7.5-kilometer railway line from Thanalaeng station at the Thai border to Khamsavath station, costing about THB 900 million, 30% of which is a grant from Thailand’s Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency (NEDA).
The Lao-Thai Railway started construction in 2019 and was expected to be finished by 2021, but due to some delays, the project is finally completed two years later.
Thai delegations visited the station in January and discussed the feasibility of a China-Laos-Thailand railway link that would help reduce cargo transport costs by 30-50% over the next three to five years.
The Lao-Thai Railway and Laos-China Railway are planned parts of a regional rail network that will connect China to Singapore via Laos, Thailand, and Malaysia.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2023/05/11/lao-thai-railway-completes-second-phase-of-construction-and-is-ready-for-public-use/