The announcement was made at a joint press briefing held in Vientiane on November 6 by the Ministry of Finance and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), ahead of the 2026 Annual Round Table Meeting scheduled for November 19.
The briefing was co-chaired by Deputy Minister of Finance Soulivath Souvannachoumkham and UNDP Resident Representative to Laos Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labe. Representatives of diplomatic missions, development partners, government agencies and other stakeholders attended.
This year's Round Table Meeting will focus on "Prioritizing Strategic Budget Allocations for the Implementation of the National Socio-Economic Development Plan for Fiscal Year 2027 to Ensure a Smooth, High-Quality and Sustainable LDC Graduation."
The meeting will bring together representatives of the National Assembly, government ministries, provincial administrations, development partners, international financial institutions, the private sector and civil society to discuss development priorities and financing needs.
Deputy Minister Soulivath said the 2026 meeting was particularly significant as it comes ahead of Laos' graduation from LDC status and coincides with the first year of implementing the 10th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2026–2030).
He noted that Laos had faced global economic uncertainty and severe natural disasters in 2026. However, efforts to stabilise the national currency, control inflation and maintain tighter monetary policies had helped preserve macroeconomic stability, with average inflation reported at 7.8%.
UNDP Resident Representative Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labe congratulated the Lao Government on reaching this important development milestone and reaffirmed the UNDP's commitment to supporting the country's transition.
She said the Round Table Process remained an important platform for mobilising development financing, addressing funding gaps and strengthening cooperation between the government and development partners.
The process also supports implementation of the Vientiane Declaration III on Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation, with the aim of ensuring that development assistance delivers tangible improvements in people's lives.
The upcoming meeting is expected to help align development financing with national priorities and strengthen preparations for Laos' transition, ensuring that graduation from LDC status leads to lasting economic and social progress.