Vientiane: The government today commenced its Second Enlarged Meeting of 2025 at the National Convention Hall, marking a crucial moment in establishing the future direction for national governance. This meeting comes as the country gears up to implement the resolutions of the 12th National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and the 10th Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan.
According to Lao News Agency, the meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, brought together an array of government officials, including Deputy Prime Ministers, government members, the Chairman of the Vientiane Administration Committee, provincial administration committee chairpersons and vice chairpersons, as well as representatives from Party and State agencies, mass organizations, and oversight bodies at the central level.
The two-day meeting is set to review government performance from the past term, pinpoint key priorities for 2025, and formulate the 2026 work plan alongside a strategic five-year outlook. Discussions are centered on enhancing a self-reliant economy, streamlining national development plan implementation, modernizing state revenue collection, and addressing audit and inspection findings.
Infrastructure development stands out as a major agenda item, with discussions on the initial phase of the Laos-Vietnam Railway project from Thakhek in Khammuan Province to the Mu Gia border crossing, priority road construction and upgrading plans for 2026, and expressway development projects with actionable implementation mechanisms.
In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone highlighted that this meeting is the final enlarged meeting of the 9th Government term and the first to be co-convened with the Chairman of the Vientiane Administration Committee and provincial leaders nationwide. He pointed out the meeting’s significance amid ongoing global and regional uncertainty that may impact national development and citizens’ livelihoods.
The Prime Minister called 2026 a pivotal starting year for enacting the resolutions of the 12th National Party Congress. He urged all participants to offer concentrated, practical, and solution-oriented insights and stressed the importance of translating the meeting’s outcomes into concrete actions that yield substantial benefits for socio-economic development and enhance the well-being of the population.