(KPL) The Embassy of Singapore in the Lao PDR hosted a celebration of Singapore’s 60th National Day on August 29 in Vientiane. The event was attended by Mr. Thongsavanh Phomvihane, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR, along with other ministers, officials, and invited guests.

Speaking at the ceremony, Singapore’s Ambassador to the Lao PDR, Mr. Sudesh Maniar, highlighted the significance of the occasion. He noted that Singapore, despite being a young country with only 60 years of history, has achieved unity and progress through the collective efforts of its diverse society under the theme “Building Singapore Together.”

The Ambassador drew parallels between Singapore and Laos, pointing out that both are young nations with shared aspirations. Laos will celebrate its 50th National Day this year, and the two countries remain close partners within the ASEAN community, working to promote stability, openness, and regional integration.

Mr. Maniar emphasized the deepening bilateral relations, recalling that in 2024 both nations marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with high-level exchanges and government-to-government meetings. He highlighted human resource development as a key area of cooperation, noting that since the establishment of the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) in 1992, more than 17,200 Lao officials have participated in training courses in both Vientiane and Singapore.

He further mentioned the launch of a new training initiative in June 2025, in which 10 senior Lao officials attended leadership and management courses in Singapore, as well as the continuation of scholarships for Lao students to pursue secondary education in Singapore since 2000.

Beyond human resource development, cooperation also extends to clean energy through the Lao-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Trading Pilot Project, which contributes to the ASEAN Power Grid initiative. The two countries also collaborate on climate change and carbon credits under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, technology innovation, digital tools for social services, and artificial intelligence applications for multilingual translation.

In the health sector, Singaporean medical experts from the National University of Singapore continue to work with the Lao Institute of Public Health on research projects to improve public health. People-to-people exchanges, including tourism, are also on the rise, further strengthening the bonds of friendship between Laos and Singapore.

KPL