(KPL) Minster of Foreign Affairs Mr. Thongsavanh Phomvihane led a Lao delegation to participate in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Southeast Asia Regional Programme 2025 Policy Dialogue, held in Bangkok, Thailand on May 2.

The high-level forum brought together OECD members, Southeast Asian partner countries (Vietnam and Australia as co-chairs), Japan, and ASEAN representatives from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Brunei, and the Philippines.

The dialogue focused on: OECD Membership Prospects: Evaluating Thailand's and Indonesia's applications as major ASEAN economies seeking OECD accession; Regional Cooperation Benefits: Exploring how Southeast Asian nations can leverage OECD expertise in policy development and economic reforms; and Quality Investment Promotion: Strategies to attract sustainable foreign direct investment through OECD-supported frameworks

Laos' Strategic Priorities

In the closing plenary session "A Partner for Prosperity", Minister Thongsavanh applauded the OECD's Indo-Pacific Strategy and its Southeast Asia Programme for fostering ASEAN-OECD collaboration and highlighted Laos' development priorities: creating an enabling environment for trade and foreign investment; infrastructure development in key sectors: agriculture, clean energy, and mining; and strengthening public-private partnerships through OECD best practices.

KPL