Category: Politics

Leaders of countries across the world have extended greetings to Vietnam on the occasion of the country’s 76th National Day (September 2).

General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and President Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh, and Chairman of the National Assembly of Laos Saysomphone Phomvihane sent their greetings to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President Xi Jinping extended greetings to General Secretary Trong and President Phuc, while Premier Li Keqiang and Chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Li Zhanshu did the same to PM Chinh and NA Chairman Hue, respectively.

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, the Central Committee of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, National Assembly President Samdech Heng Samrin, and Acting President of the Senate Sim Ka cabled their to the CPV Central Committee, President Phuc, PM Chinh and NA Chairman Hue.

First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, PM Manuel Marrero Cruz and President of the National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez sent their greetings to General Secretary Trong, President Phuc, PM Chinh, and NA Chairman Hue, respectively.

Russian President Vladimir Putin extended his greetings to General Secretary Trong and President Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Meanwhile, PM Mikhail Mishustin did the same to his Vietnamese counterpart Chinh, and Chairwoman of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko and Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin sent their greetings to NA Chairman Hue.

Chairman of the Workers’ Party and the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK Kim Jong-un cabled a greetings message to General Secretary Trong and President Phuc, while Premier Kim Tok-hun did the same to PM Chinh.

Sultan of Brunei Haji Hasanal Bolkiah and Indonesian President Joko Widodo extended greetings to President Phuc and PM Chinh.

King of Malaysia Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah sent a greetings message to President Phuc.

King of Thailand Maha Vajiralongorn sent greetings to President Phuc, and PM Prayut Chan-o-cha did the same to his Vietnamese counterpart Chinh.

President of Singapore Halimah Yacob extended greetings to President Phuc.

On this occasion, Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith; Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is Chairman of the Steering Committee for China-Vietnam Bilateral Cooperation; Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn; Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla; Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov; Foreign Minister of the DPRK Ri Son-gwon; Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Retno Marsudi; Thai Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai; and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore Vivian Balakrishnan sent messages and letters of greetings to Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.

Chairman of the LPRP Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Thongsavanh Phomvihane also cabled a greetings message to Chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung.

Source: Lao News Agency

Lao Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Sengphet Houngbounyuang paid a courtesy call to Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Nguyen Quoc Dung on the occasion of the 76th National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Sep 2, 1945-2021).

The visiting ambassador highly spoke of the achievements Vietnam has made in various areas over the past 76 years under the clear-sighted leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam who led the fraternal Vietnamese people to fight fearlessly against invading colonialists and imperialists and secured national independence and unified the country in 1975.

Over three decades of the implementation of Doi Moi policy, Vietnam has recorded great and historic achievements, growing strongly and comprehensively in all areas with politics gaining stable, national defense and public security securing peace and order in the society, economy gaining a good constant pace, and people’s living standards improved significantly. Vietnam is increasingly securing greater role and influence at regional and international arena.

The ambassador also hailed the success of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in early 2021.

He noted that the socio-economic achievements in Vietnam have inspired the Lao PDR to lead in building up higher income economy.

The relations between the two countries have been deepened and this has been demonstrated in the fact that when the Covid-19 pandemic was spreading around the world, leaders of the two countries managed to exchange their visits.

In reply, the Vietnamese Deputy Minister highly valued the great relations between the two Parties, governments and peoples of Laos and Vietnam and stated that over years to come, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries will play a key role in implementing programmes and projects the two countries signed during the visits of leaders of the two countries in June and August and both sides will continue to deepen the relations and cooperation between the two Parties, governments and peoples of Laos and Vietnam as well as promote and strengthen the great relations, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

In the morning of the same day, the Lao ambassador also attended a virtual meeting dedicated to the 76th anniversary of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Source: Lao News Agency

On Aug 27, Overseas Chinese Association Laos represented by its president Lengsavanvaly presented US$20,000 to Chinese Embassy in Vientiane to support flood relief efforts in Henan Province of China.

Henan was hit by torrential rains starting on July 16, according to Xinhua News Agency.

More than 14.81 million people in 150 county-level regions were affected by the downpours. About 1.08 million hectares of crops were damaged, and over 35,300 houses collapsed across the province, with a direct economic loss of over 133.7 billion yuan, official data shows.

Over the past months, the Overseas Chinese Association Laos has actively contributed to the Covid-19 fight in the Lao PDR by donating medical supplies and using its premises in Chanthaboury district, Vientiane as a Covid-19 vaccination site. Over 51,000 people have been vaccinated at the site.

Source: Lao News Agency

Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh received Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea Chung Eui-yong in Vientiane yesterday.

The Korean minister is on a two-day visit (Aug 28-29) to the Lao PDR to strengthen ties and cooperation between Laos and the Republic of Korea.

Prime Minister highly valued the Korean minister’s visit noting it constituted a significant contribution to strengthening the Laos-Korea relations and cooperation in various areas especially on foreign affairs.

He also expressed gratitude to the government of the Republic of Korea for its provision of assistance to the Lao PDR especially on trade, investment, tourism, human resource development, health, basic infrastructure, technology and education, and expressed his hope that the Korean government will continue to build stronger cooperation with and provide assistance to the Lao PDR.

In reply, the Korean minister expressed thanks to the Prime Minister for his warm welcome and informed the host of the intent of his visit to the Lao PDR.

Source: Lao News Agency

The National Taskforce Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control has placed the number of people with covid-19 documented nationwide over the past 24 hours at 305 including 81 local transmissions.

Fifty two of the local infections were documented in Savannakhet. Meanwhile 29 were reported in Bokeo with all detected in Tonpheng district.

Some 224 imported cases were reported, all were migrant workers from neighbouring countries, including 134 in Champassak, 33 in Savannakhet, 22 in Saravan, 20 in Khammuan, 12 in Vientiane and three in Luang Prabang.

The total of Covid-19 infections in the country has reached 12,469, including 4,520 active cases and 11 deaths.

Source: Lao News Agency

UNICEF Representative to Lao PDR Pia Rebello Britto today paid a courtesy visit toMinister of Information, Culture and Tourism Suanesavanh Vignaket. During the visit, participants discussed the new UNICEF country programme and priority areas of cooperation between UNICEF and MICT in the next five years.

Both parties reaffirmed their working partnership and committed to further strengthen cooperation in the areas related to the media, youth participation, the promotion of women and children’s wellbeing, the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in the Lao PDR, alongside the country’s COVID-19 response.

Minister Suanesavanh Vignaket warmly received Dr. Pia Rebello Britto at MICT on Friday afternoon and expressed her deepest gratitude for UNICEF’s assistance to the Government of Lao PDR.

“UNICEF’s assistance to MICT has been vital in disseminating key information related to the well-being of women and children, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, whether it be through television, newspapers, the radio or social media. We look forward to continuing working with UNICEF in the future and to reach out to more Lao women and children, particularly those living in remote areas,” said Ms. Suanesavanh Vignaket.

In addition, the minister also expressed her appreciation for the successful cooperation between MICT and UNICEF in the campaign to prevent and control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNICEF Representative to Lao PDR Pia Rebello Britto congratulated Minister Suanesavanh Vignaket on her appointment as the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR and on the 71st anniversary of the Lao Mass Media and Publishing Day (1950-2021).

“UNICEF has a long working history with MICT. UNICEF would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm our partnership with MICT and will continue working closely together with the ministry to better promote the well-being of Lao women and children and support the Lao Generation 2030,” said Dr. Pia Rebello Britto.

Dr. Britto also praised the Lao PDR’s COVID-19 response and the country’s overall progress in improving the well-being of Lao women and children.

“I am confident that through the strong partnership with the Government of the Lao PDR, particularly the MICT, and close cooperation with other partners, the objectives of the new country programme will be achieved,” Dr. Britto added.

The partnership between MICT and UNICEF have seen them previously working to enhance the capacity of journalists by organising various trainings and collaborating in areas such as data collection, online news production and digital media and in the establishment of child-friendly television programmes and the Youth Radio initiative. More recently, MICT and UNICEF have also been actively working together to produce and disseminate key messages on COVID-19 prevention and control measures in the Lao PDR.

Source: Lao News Agency