On 27 November, the British Embassy in Vientiane hosted a vibrant and memorable event to mark the 76th birthday of King Charles III.
Among other dignitaries, Phout Simmalavong, Minister of Education and Sport and Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs joined the occasion to celebrate the long-lasting friendship between the United Kingdom (UK) and Laos
The event brought together around 300 people to the British residence, including the Lao government officials, diplomats, businesses, partners of UK funded projects, as well as representatives from academia, UK Chevening Alumni and the community to celebrate the King’s birthday.
In her speech, British Ambassador Mel Barlow, said:
“I want to start by offering our condolences and thoughts for all those affected by the serious incident in Vang Vieng. We would like to thank the authorities for their ongoing efforts to help and investigate.
Turning to tonight, this is the first King’s birthday party in Laos. His Majesty The King has a strong personal interest in sustainability and the environment, so we have chosen “a sustainable future for all” as our theme for this evening. The climate and nature emergency defines our time, and action on this is central to all that the UK does, including in our partnership with Lao PDR.
We were delighted that Deputy Prime Minister, His Excellency Saleumxay Kommasith and Foreign Secretary David Lammy signed our Green Economy Framework MOU here in Vientiane in July. It’s been a tremendously busy and special year for Lao PDR, let’s celebrate all that has been achieved”.
Ambassador Barlow, along with the other guests raised a toast to the king and to the continued friendship between the UK and Laos. The cake was decorated with edible flowers and adorned with the royal insignia of The King.
A striking version of the Union Jack was recreated in plants, embodying the theme of sustainability. Guests were invited to take a plant home and to work together for a greener and sustainable future.
