German govt details 26.5 million EUR in development cooperation with Laos

The German government has supported Laos’ reform efforts and stands for a partnership among equals  with 26.5 million EUR provided to Lao-German development cooperation in 2020.
The figure was reported at negotiations on development cooperation between the governments of Laos and Germany on Friday held at the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Vientiane and Berlin via video conference due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Lao delegation was headed by Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, Dr Kikeo Chanthaboury with the German delegation led by Head of

Division at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Mr Klaus Supp.
Both governments agreed to continue their close cooperation in ensuring that ongoing projects, including the additional activities, agreed at these negotiations, will be concluded as planned and that the intended approaches and results will be secured, thereby contributing to the implementation of the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) and supporting Laos on its path towards sustainable development.
As the BMZ will be phasing out its bilateral development cooperation, the aim is to complete all projects within the agreed timeframe and transfer them into the hands of partner ministries or other development partners, so that the two sides’ long-standing cooperation will yield sustainable impact for Laos.
In his opening remarks, Dr Kikeo Chathaboury stated, “Over the years, the Lao-German cooperation has played a key role in supporting the implementation of the NSEDP in different periods. On behalf of the government of the Lao PDR, I would like to take this opportunity to express our great appreciation to the government and the people of the Federal Republic of Germany for their valuable support, assistance and generous contributions extended to Laos, especially in supporting poverty eradication and improving living conditions of multi-ethnic people in Laos.”.
Mr Klaus Supp said, “Germany welcomes the progress made in all areas of German-Lao cooperation. We have been supporting rural development, including rural road construction and land management for almost 25 years. We are proud of all we have achieved together, from technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to the sustainable management of natural resources, especially in the area of forestry.”
The priority areas of cooperation encompass rural development, natural resources and environment, sustainable economic development, and governance.
Germany has maintained diplomatic relations and development cooperation with Laos since 1958. From the very beginning, Germany supported Laos with basic infrastructure development and contributed to strengthening the education sector with an overall focus on poverty reduction. Since 1990, Germany has continued its cooperation in vocational education and forestry, while initiating several projects to support Laos’ efforts toward transforming its centrally planned economy into an open market economy. Today, Laos is enjoying considerable economic growth as the government works on the Sustainable Development Goals to address issues of equality, social justice, and the sustainable use of natural resources.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update September 29, 2020)