The Prime Minister of Laos attended the summit to celebrate the 45th anniversary of ASEAN-European Union (ASEAN-EU) relations on Wednesday in Brussels, Belgium, under the co-chairmanship of Cambodia and the EU.
Lao News Agency reports that at the summit ASEAN and EU leaders reviewed the implementation of cooperation projects under the ASEAN-EU Action Plan (2018-2022) in investment, education, information exchange, science-technology, connectivity, and other areas.
ASEAN-EU leaders also encouraged increased cooperation through the implementation of the new ASEAN-EU Action Plan (2023-2027) which was adopted during the ASEAN-EU Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in August 2022.
The new plan would focus on cooperation in health, the movement of people between the two regions, air transport, trade, investment, coping with natural disasters, and counter-terrorism efforts.
On the sidelines of the ASEAN-EU relations summit, Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh discussed with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh his upcoming state visit to Laos and meeting of the political departments of the two countries.
He also met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to talk over the signing of the action plan for a long-term strategic partnership and a treaty on demarcation.
At the event, the President of the EU Council, Mr. Charles Michel, appreciated the cooperation between ASEAN-EU and also Laos-EU and announced financial assistance of EUR 550 million for priority development programs in Laos between 2021-2024.
