On Friday 14 October 2022, the Minister of Planning and Investment of Laos, Dr Khamjane Vongphosy, accompanied by a delegation of representatives of several ministries in relation to the sectoral projects of Luxembourg's development cooperation programme, visited Luxembourg in the framework of the 14th Partnership Commission.
This meeting served to take stock of the implementation of the current Indicative Cooperation Programme (ICP 4, 2016-2022) as well as to recall the priorities of the new ICP (ICP V, 2023-2027) and to address the relations between the two countries beyond development cooperation.
Laos has been a partner country of Luxembourg's development cooperation programme since 1997. The current ICP has a budget of €99 million and focuses on the priority sectors of health, rural development, vocational training in tourism and hospitality as well as the promotion of the rule of law, good governance and access to justice. Luxembourg is today one of the largest European donors in Laos, particularly in the health sector, and plays a leading role in the strategy of the European team in this landlocked Southeast Asian country.
During their political dialogue, Laos and Luxembourg government ministers discussed development cooperation, the macro-economic situation in Laos, human rights, the war in Ukraine and the situation in Myanmar.
The Partnership Commission also served to highlight the multi-actor partnerships established in Laos, particularly with multilateral agencies, universities, research institutes and civil society.
