on November 14, 2024, H.E. Ms. Morakot Sriswasdi, Thai Ambassador to Lao PDR, attended the 24^th Roundtable Implementation Meeting, co-hosted by the United Nations and the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Lao PDR.

Ambassador reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to supporting Lao PDR in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and graduating from Least Developed Country (LDC) status. Thailand has pledged over 200 million USD in Official Development Assistance (ODA) for 2021-2025, focusing on healthcare, food security, job creation, energy, and environment. Additionally, nearly 3,000 scholarships have been granted to Lao PDR to support the country’s sustainable development.

Ambassador also highlighted the importance that the 10^th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) of Lao PDR clearly puts emphasis on planning, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting of national progress. She mentioned the need for a robust statistical analysis system to ensure effective implementation of the NSEDP. Furthermore, Ambassador advocated the introduction of micro-credit / micro-finance schemes for MSMEs to boost grassroots economic activities and support community-based enterprises.

Ambassador also emphasised the significance of regional cooperation frameworks and the necessity to have clear common goals and priorities to avoid overlapping projects or projects implementation. Furthermore, on financial transactions, it is very important for the Government of Lao PDR  to adhere to FATF recommendations. Awareness raising on the urgency of this very issue is also needed for both government agencies and private sector to ascertain sustainable growth of the economy as well as to support the foreign direct investment and international trade.