Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone is set to participate in the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation from 16-18 December in Tokyo, accepting an invitation from Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.
At the summit, leaders from ASEAN countries and Japan intend to review their five-decade collaboration, with a focus on enhancing the comprehensive strategic partnership established in September 2023.
Additionally, the upcoming ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit will prioritize establishing a new vision and tangible cooperation, emphasizing collaborative efforts to address shared challenges, combat climate change, and enhance industrial cooperation.
For Laos, the summit presents a platform for PM Sonexay to engage in bilateral discussions with leaders from the region as Lao is preparing to chair ASEAN in the coming year.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida extended support to Laos as the 2024 ASEAN chair, emphasizing economic and cultural collaboration, transcending their relationship beyond business, and fostering trust through mutual challenges.
Japan and Laos, with a longstanding friendship dating back to the establishment of their diplomatic relations in 1955, are approaching the 70th anniversary of friendship in 2025. Both nations eagerly anticipate deepening their strategic partnership.
In Laos, approximately 160 Japanese firms are engaged in business, actively contributing to the progress of the Lao industry and generating employment opportunities by fostering human resource development and facilitating technology transfer.
