ASEAN-LAOS


As part of her preparations to join ASEAN, Laos continued to strengthen the ASEAN Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which was set up shortly before Laos submitted her application for membership in ASEAN on 15 March 1996. The MFA also opened an International Relations Training Centre in Vientiane in early 1997. In like vein, the Ministry of Commerce, established an ASEAN Economic Cooperation Department.

In anticipation of increased diplomatic contacts after joining ASEAN, Laos has established missions in Singapore and Manila, and has plans to do the same in Bandar Seri Begawan in the near future. Like Cambodia, Laos has started providing visa-free facilities to diplomats, officials and ASEAN Secretariat staff.

Ten officials underwent an intensive two-week training stint at the ASEAN Secretariat over the last year. In January 1997, six Lao officials, including the Director-General of the ASEAN Economic Department and his key assistants spent three days on a familiarization programme at the ASEAN Secretariat. They have become the core of Laos' National AFTA Unit and have taken an active part in preparing Laos for participation, not only in the CEPT Scheme for AFTA, but also in other economic cooperation activities in ASEAN. The Lao Vice Minister of Finance led a delegation to the ASEAN Secretariat in October 1996 for an intensive briefing on AFTA and other economic cooperation activities in ASEAN.

In anticipation of increased diplomatic contacts after joining ASEAN, Laos has established missions in Singapore and Manila, and has plans to do the same in Bandar Seri Begawan in the near future. Like Cambodia, Laos has started providing visa-free facilities to diplomats, officials and ASEAN Secretariat staff

The Minister of Commerce of Laos attended informal consultations with the AEM in Jakarta in September 1996 while the Minister of Communication, Transport, Post and Construction attended the Second ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting in Chiang Mai in February 1997 as Observer. Senior economic officials of Laos held consultations with SEOM in Surabaya in February 1997 and in Ho Chi Minh City during the SEOM-2/28 Meeting in April 1997.

A delegation of five Lao officials, led by the acting Director-General of the Press Department, MFA, visited the ASEAN Secretariat in April 1997 to learn more about ASEAN's activities, especially in the area of culture and information. The delegation also met with ASEAN and information officials of Indonesia and Malaysia during its week-long tour of Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. Another delegation from Laos consisting of officers from the Customs Department and the Ministries of Agriculture and Industry visited the ASEAN Secretariat in May 1997 to prepare Laos' list of products for inclusion in the CEPT for AFTA.

Individual ASEAN Member Countries have provided assistance to Laos similar to that given to Cambodia, including English language training and diplomacy and AFTA-related technical matters.