Remarks by
H.E. Mr. Somsavat LENGSAVAD
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister for Foreign Affairs
of the Lao People’s
Democratic Republic
at the Third Annual Gala
Dinner Organized by
the Fund for Reconciliation
and Development
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Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of my delegation, I would like to thank the Fund for Reconciliation and Development for organizing this important function. Let me also extend my sincere appreciation to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, & Flom for making this gathering happen. By the same token, I wish to convey my warm greetings to all of you present here this evening. Such a get-together demonstrates your kindness, concern and sympathy for our country as well as for Cambodia and Vietnam. It is my belief that this great event would help foster a deeper mutual understanding and contribute to the promotion of bilateral relations and cooperation between our two nations.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As you may recall, since 1986 the Lao PDR has pursued its national construction in line with a policy of renovation based, particularly, on market economic mechanism and openness. As a result, the national economy has been enjoying a gradual growth. Political stability has been guaranteed. The Lao multi-ethnic people are living in total harmony. The Seventh Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party held last year reaffirmed the determination of the Lao PDR to continue the policy and set out a long-term national socio-economic development strategy with the ultimate objective of moving the country out of the ranks of least developed nations by 2020.
To this end, the Lao Government has explored every possible potential in such areas as agriculture, forestry and industry, especially hydropower and mining. At the same time, we attach importance to the service sector, particularly eco-tourism. Top priority is given to the eradication of poverty through rural development efforts with a view to putting an end to the slash-and-burn farming practices by the people for subsistence, which are destructive to natural resources and harmful to the environment, and helping them to live a better life, taking into account their respective specificity and potentials. The Lao Government has also given priority to the area of human resources development which aims to upgrade the knowledge of the people and enable them to handle new technologies. Another area of priority is the development of infrastructure that is crucial for future national development and advancement toward industrialization and modernization. We have the intention to create a State ruled by law, ensure the rights of the people including the right to believe or not to believe in religion, the promotion of democracy and the people’s participation in all national building activities. Along this line, in February of this year we conducted the elections of the Fifth National Assembly with success.
We strongly believe that in order to achieve the above-mentioned socio-economic development objectives, it is most necessary for us to combine the potentials of all economic sectors with the expanding of relations and cooperation with the international community.
In international
relations, the Lao PDR enjoys good relationship and cooperation with all its
immediate neighbors and ASEAN which have not only contributed to our country’s
socio-economic development, but also improved the living standard of our
people. In 2001, the Gross Domestic Product increased by 6% following a drop to 4.7% in 1998.
In the field of investment, since the introduction of the Government’s Law on Foreign Investment, about 39 countries and territories have invested in 921 projects in the Laos amounting to a little over 6 billion US dollars.
In tourism, the sector has expanded, with more than 800,000 tourists visiting the country in 2001 compared with 14,400 in 1990. In this connection, we are pleased to inform you that it is the privilege for the Lao PDR to host the next ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Tourism and Tourism Expo which is scheduled for early 2004. We do hope that you will take the opportunity to visit Laos and to gain more knowledge about the country and its people and new tourist destinations of ASEAN countries.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today let me brief you on the bilateral relations between the Lao PDR and the United States of America. The bilateral relations and cooperation between the Lao PDR and the United States continue to develop on a positive note. The Lao Government has cooperated with the United States mainly in the area of humanitarian affairs. Particularly, the Lao Government has shown its good will and extended its cooperation in the search for American Servicemen Missing-In-Action (MIA) in Laos during the Indochina war. As a result, 174 remains of MIA have, to date, been recovered, identified and handed over to the United States. On its part, the US administration further assists our country in the field of narcotic drug control and the UXO clearance programme. There are also a number of American investors doing business in Laos who want to increase their investments. Unfortunately, until now the NTR which was initialed in 1997 has not yet been signed by the two countries. In this context, I hope that such organization as the Fund for Reconciliation and Development together with the American friends who are willing to expand economic, trade, investment and other areas of cooperation, will go on to give us cooperation and support in finding a solution to the problem that hinders the aspirations of the majority of our two peoples. We can assure you of Laos’ willingness to broaden external relations, including those with the United States in order to combine the outside strength with the internal one so as to make the country capable of ridding soonest of the status of underdevelopment and moving towards prosperity as other nations.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Lao Government has long recognized the important role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the development of our country. Among others, we have established a long-standing and friendly ties with the Fund for Reconciliation and Development. And in collaboration with the latter, we were honoured to host the 10th Conference of the Forum on Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in our Capital, Vientiane last June with the theme “Improving Partnership for Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development.” The outcome of the Forum was considered by many to be a great success. I would like to take this opportunity to express once again our thanks to Mr. John McAullif, Director of the Fund for Reconciliation and Development, and his staff for organizing that important event.
In conclusion, I wish you all great success, good health and long life. Once again, thank you very much for your sympathy and support to our country.