Mr. Thongsavanh congratulated Hammargren on her appointment and thanked Sweden for its development assistance through the European Union, which has supported Laos’ socio-economic development and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

He also briefed the ambassador on Laos’ preparations to graduate from Least Developed Country status at the end of 2026 and expressed hope that Sweden and the EU would continue supporting the country after graduation.

Thongsavanh encouraged greater Swedish investment in Laos, particularly in clean energy and tourism, and called for stronger people-to-people exchanges.

Hammargren thanked the Lao side for its warm welcome and pledged to work to further strengthen friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries, which have maintained diplomatic ties for more than six decades.

KPL