Mr Viengthavisone Thepphachanh (left) greets Dr Isma Yatun during his visit to Indonesia.

Indonesia boosts support for Lao state audit agency

The state audit agencies of Laos and Indonesia have pledged to strengthen cooperation to enhance the effectiveness of their operations.
The Chair of the Audit Board of Indonesia, Dr Isma Yatun, voiced support for the partnership when welcoming the President of the Lao State Audit Organisation, Mr Viengthavisone Thepphachanh, and his delegation during an official visit to Indonesia from December 2-8.
Dr Yatun said Indonesia would continue to support the Lao State Audit Organisation and strengthen relations between the two state audit bodies.
Mr Viengthavisone’s visit was arranged to learn from the experiences of his Indonesian counterparts.
Meetings between the two sides covered topics such as the annual budget, audit quality control, management of local budget audits, and the past achievements and direction of future cooperation between the Lao and Indonesian audit agencies.
It was agreed that future reciprocal visits between the leaders of the two sides would be organised and that they would support each other in the regional and international arenas.
The Lao delegation signed a bilateral cooperation plan for 2025-2026 and attended the Regional Audit Council in Bali.
Meetings between the two sides marked a milestone in building cooperation as agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2016, while also bolstering mutual support for the improvement of the Lao and Indonesian state audit bodies.
Discussions served as an important contribution to the friendship and overall strong cooperation between the two countries as well as the enhancement of diplomatic relations, which were established in 1957.
The two sides informed each other about the general progress of social and economic development in their respective countries and the main activities undertaken by their audit agencies.
Mr Viengthavisone expressed his sincere gratitude to the Audit Council of Indonesia, acknowledging the body’s willingness to assist the Lao State Audit Organisation. 
The Lao and Indonesian delegations reviewed their achievements to date and agreed on areas of future cooperation, which will include further meetings for talks at the senior leadership level and the review of specific areas of cooperation.

By Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
 (Latest Update December 11, 2024)