Note to Correspondents: Visit of Assistant-Secretary-General for Political Affairs to the Lao PDR

The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Mr. Miroslav Jenca, concluded an official visit to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) on 4 April 2016. During the visit, Mr. Jenca met with the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the National Assembly, H.E. Mr. Koukeo Akhamountri, the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Saleumxay Kommasith, and the Director-General for the Laos Institute of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Yong Chanthalangsy. He also visited an unexploded ordnance (UXO) field project in Luang Prabang.

Mr. Jenca exchanged views with Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, H.E. Mr. Koukeo Akhamountri on the recent national parliamentary elections in Lao PDR, the future work of the National Assembly and also the work of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. During the discussion, appreciation was expressed for UN support to the National Assembly. Mr. Jenca also acknowledged that women make up nearly 30 per cent of the members elected to the new National Assembly.

In the year of Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship, the meeting with Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs,  H.E. Mr. Saleumxay Kommasith, focused on the ASEAN-UN Comprehensive Partnership, including the work on ASEAN-UN Plan of Action (2016-2020) and preparations for the ASEAN-UN Summit. On UN-Lao PDR cooperation, they exchanged views on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in May and the Summit on Addressing Large Movement of Refugees and Migrants at United Nations Headquarters in September.

The Vice Foreign Minister expressed appreciation for the strong UN-Lao PDR cooperation, in particular UN support to the Round Table Process that enables dialogue among partners on Lao PDR’s development priorities. They also discussed the ongoing serious problem of UXO and UN support to the national programme to reduce the impact of UXO in Lao PDR.

Mr. Jenca met with Director-General for the Laos Institute of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Yong Chanthalangsy, to discuss ASEAN-UN political-security cooperation, including joint training on preventive diplomacy and the proposed ASEAN-UN Regional Dialogue on Conflict Prevention and Preventing Violent Extremism.