Laos and France Conduct Annual Review of Bilateral Cooperation

On October 23, Laos and France held their annual review of bilateral cooperation, co-chaired by Ms. Phonevanh Outhavong, Lao Vice Minister of Planning and Investment, and Ms. Siv-Leng Chhuor, French Ambassador to Laos. The review gathered key representatives from Lao government ministries-including Foreign Affairs, Agriculture and Forestry, and Information, Culture, and Tourism-along with international cooperation partners CIRAD, EFEO, IRD, and WCS. The session followed a recent presidential meeting between Laos and France, providing a platform to assess achievements and address challenges in ongoing projects, while setting out priorities for initiatives planned for 2025-2026. The meeting highlighted three decades of cooperation through Agence Française de Développement (AFD), which has committed over pound 300 million to 90 projects in areas such as rural development, agriculture, heritage conservation, and sustainable tourism. Ms. Phonevanh expressed gratitude for the strong collaboration between AFD, th e French Embassy, and the Lao government, noting its critical role in supporting Laos' 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2021-2025) and the formulation of the 10th NSEDP (2026-2030). French Ambassador Chhuor noted that 2024 marked a record year for new funding agreements, totaling over pound 19.6 million. These included pound 6 million for heritage preservation and local development in Champasak and Savannakhet provinces, pound 9 million (co-financed by the EU) to support tea and coffee farmers in Northern Laos, and pound 5 million to expand rural development and irrigation in Khammouane province. AFD's Regional Director for Southeast Asia, Mr. Jean-Pierre Marcelli, outlined AFD's focus areas for the next two years, including water resource management, hydroelectric sector support, biodiversity protection, and climate change adaptation. Proposed projects include a coordination center for water management in hydropower dams and an initiative to support women's economic empowerment through the Min istry of Industry and Trade. About AFD Group AFD Group supports France's sustainable development and international solidarity policies. It includes Agence Française de Développement (AFD), which finances public sectors, NGOs, research, and training; its private sector subsidiary Proparco; and Expertise France, a technical cooperation agency. AFD Group works on over 4,800 projects across 150 countries to promote sustainable development, aiming to balance economic progress with the preservation of common global resources such as peace, climate, biodiversity, health, education, and gender equality. Source: Lao News Agency