Mr. Phet Phomphiphak, Minister of Planning and Investment of the Lao PDR (L) and Mr. Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Minister of Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs of Luxembourgn in Luxembourg City.

(KPL) Recently, the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) convened the 16th Lao-Luxembourg Cooperation Commission Meeting in Luxembourg City.

The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Minister of Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs of Luxembourg, and Mr. Phet Phomphiphak, Minister of Planning and Investment of the Lao PDR.

Representatives from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and Sports, and the National University of Laos also participated.

The meeting aimed to review past cooperative activities under the joint programme, address challenges, and plan future initiatives. It also served as a platform for discussions, exchanges of ideas, and proposals to resolve outstanding issues, ensuring the effective implementation of ongoing projects.

The commission reviewed the progress of bilateral cooperation projects and discussed the expansion of the 2023-2027 cooperation programme between the Lao PDR and Luxembourg. The programme focuses on supporting public health, local development in the provinces of Bokeo, Vientiane, Borikhamxay, and Khammuan, as well as vocational training in tourism and public administration. Additionally, the meeting endorsed a framework for monitoring and evaluating the 2023-2027 cooperation programme.

During the meeting, an additional agreement was signed to increase funding for the Lao-Luxembourg Health and Nutrition Project (LAO/035) by €10.5 million.

The Lao-Luxembourg Cooperation Commission is a regular cooperation mechanism between the two governments, with hosting responsibilities alternating between the two countries. The most recent meeting was held on February 8, 2024, in Vientiane.

On the same occasion, the two sides also held an exchange meeting on Luxembourg’s development experiences. Ms. Phouvang Outhavong, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, led the Lao delegation in discussions to share lessons from Luxembourg’s national development, particularly in local development, which is a priority area of Luxembourg’s assistance to the Lao PDR, focusing on the four target provinces: Bokeo, Vientiane, Borikhamxay, and Khammuan.

During their visit to Luxembourg, the Lao delegation also visited the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and green markets to strengthen financial cooperation between the Lao PDR and Luxembourg, particularly in sustainable finance.

This follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2024 during the visit of Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel to the Lao PDR for ASEAN Summits, paving the way for cooperation in green development and carbon market management.

KPL