(KPL) The Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has awarded the Friendship Medal to Mr. Sudesh Maniar, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Singapore to the Lao PDR, in recognition of his significant contributions to strengthening the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries.

The medal was presented by Mr. Thongsavanh Phomvihane, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR, during a courtesy farewell meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 9, 2025, marking the completion of Ambassador Maniar’s diplomatic mission in Laos.

During the ceremony, Minister Thongsavanh expressed his deep appreciation for Ambassador Maniar’s active and constructive efforts throughout his tenure, which began in late September 2023. He noted that under the Ambassador’s leadership, bilateral relations between Laos and Singapore had continued to grow and flourish across multiple sectors, including politics, trade, investment, education, culture, public health, and social development.

The Minister highlighted that Ambassador Maniar played a crucial role in facilitating high-level exchanges and visits between the two countries. These included the official visit to Singapore by the Prime Minister of the Lao PDR on July 9, 2024, and the official visit to Laos by Mr. Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister of Singapore, on October 11–12, 2024, when he attended the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits during Laos’ ASEAN Chairmanship.

Minister Thongsavanh also expressed sincere gratitude to the Government and people of Singapore for their continued support for Laos’ national development. He particularly commended Singapore’s assistance in human resource development through both short-term and long-term training programs for Lao officials under the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) framework. He further acknowledged Singapore’s active support for Laos’ ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024, emphasizing that Ambassador Maniar had played an important role in coordinating these forms of cooperation and assistance.

In his remarks, Ambassador Maniar expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Lao Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Lao people for their warm friendship, support, and cooperation throughout his tenure. He said that he was deeply honored to receive the Friendship Medal, which he described as a meaningful recognition of his work and a powerful symbol of the close and enduring partnership between Singapore and the Lao PDR.

Ambassador Maniar added that the experiences and friendships he had built in Laos would remain a cherished part of his diplomatic career. He reaffirmed his confidence that the relationship between Singapore and Laos would continue to deepen and develop in the years to come, driven by mutual trust, shared interests, and a strong commitment to regional cooperation.

KPL