Authorities need to pay greater attention in encouraging local people to take part in hosting the 28th and 29th ASEAN Summits which will be held back-to-back in Vientiane from September 6-8.
The remarks were made by Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith at a meeting in Vientiane on Friday to review the readiness of all tasks assigned to various sub-committees to host the event.
During the meeting, officials discussed the progress made in their respective sectors as well as difficulties they faced before proposing what needs to be done to ensure the country is fully ready before the summits.
Mr. Thongloun told the meeting that not only officials but also villagers need to be mobilised to maintain security and keep the city clear as well as join decoration activities to welcome foreign guests.
Sub-committees concerning security, content, protocol, venues and logistics need to enhance their responsibility and be ready to serve the summits.
The PM said the budgets allocated need to provide sufficiently for priority and necessary tasks but the expenses must be incurred in an effective fashion.
The PM also called for media to publicise preparation activities and the significance of the summits for Laos so that local people can have better understanding and jointly host them.
In addition, the first aid medical services staffed by teams of doctors and nurses as well as ambulance support will be available 24 hours daily from September 3-9 to respond to delegates immediate health needs.
Meanwhile comprehensive medical services will be provided at designated hospitals namely Mahosot Hospital, Mittaphab Hospital and Setthathirath Hospital.
The three day summits are expected to bring around 5,000 people to Laos, which is expected to place the country in a significant global spotlight.
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, as the chair of Laos’ ASEAN Chairmanship this year, will host and chair the total of 11 summits.
The 28th ASEAN summit will be convened in the form of plenary session format and ASEAN leaders will focus their discussions on ASEAN community building, especially the implementation of the ASEAN community vision 2025, the three community blueprints and the ways forwards.
Meanwhile at the 29th ASEAN summit, ASEAN leaders will focus their discussions on ASEAN external relations and its future direction as well as exchanges of views on regional and international issues of common interest and concerns.
ASEAN is the 10-nation bloc in which the ASEAN Community was established on December 31, 2015.
ASEAN has become a single market of over 620 million people and production base with a combined GDP of US$2.6 trillion, ranking as the 7th largest economy in the world.
Laos joined ASEAN membership in 1997 and hosted the ASEAN summit for the first time in 2004.
ASEAN, established in 1967, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Source: Vientiane Times
