Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone (right) on Wednesday welcomes Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Mr Phumtham Wechayachai, and his delegation to the 18th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting taking place in Vientiane. Dr Sonexay expressed appreciation for the Thai delegation’s visit to Laos, saying it was an important contribution to the strengthening of friendly relations between the two countries, especially between the Lao and Thai armies. Mr Phumtham thanked the Lao PM for his warm welcome and highlighted the ongoing support between the two countries in efforts to tackle air pollution as well as drug trafficking and other crimes.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, General Chansamone Chanyalath (right), meets with Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, Colonel-General Alexander Fomin. The meeting took place during the 11th ASEAN-Plus Defence Ministers' Meeting in Vientiane on Thursday. The defence chiefs expressed appreciation for the long-standing friendship and cooperation between their armies and vowed to strengthen this relationship. They re-assessed the success of past military partnership and discussed the direction of future cooperation.

The Governor of Saravan province, Dr Daovong Phonekeo, and his officials on Wednesday tour an exhibition of local products and items aimed at the tourist market, as part of a festival attended by businesses from Laos and other countries taking place from November 20-23. --Photo Pathetlao

Members of village fund savings groups in Vientiane province take part in a training session on computer use, as well as share and savings systems. The course was held at the Lao-Korea Rural Development Training Centre from November 4-8, with support from the MG Korean Federation of Community Credit Cooperation. Participants learnt about fund management and the functions of money-saving groups, and computer programmes such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. A representative of the Department of Agricultural Promotion and Cooperatives said money-saving groups are set up with the aim of alleviating poverty. Group members can get low-interest loans for farming, helping families to establish stable occupations, increase production capacity, and boost their income.

Sightseeing in Kaysone Phomvihane city in Savannakhet province is one of the most popular activities alongside the Mekong River, where local residents and travellers enjoy strolling and exercising. Provincial authorities are currently extending the river embankment to provide more facilities and protect the riverbank. --Photo Ngae