Political stability, security, social order and economic growth, all of which have been successfully maintained, have been the outstanding achievements of the Lao government and people under the guidance of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party over the past year.
Party and government leaders, and representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organisations, all cited these highlights in the speeches they made to mark the 39th anniversary of the founding of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
A ceremony to accept the good wishes of the diplomatic corps and international organisations took place at the Presidential Palace on Monday.
“We are delighted to witness that Laos continues to enjoy firm political stability, security and social order, and has achieved a relatively high GDP growth rate of 7.5 percent compared to 2013,” President Choummaly said.
President Choummaly also highlighted the achievements made in the areas of education, social and cultural development, and the overall well-being of the people, which he said has also improved.
In addition, he noted that the current GDP per capita has reached US$1,692, while poverty reduction efforts have reduced the percentage of poor households to 8.11 percent.
“All this has laid a solid foundation for us to continue realising the objectives of the current Seventh Five-Year Plan in its final stage,” he said.
On behalf of the Party, government, and Lao people of all ethnicities, President Choummaly thanked the diplomatic corps and representatives of international organisations, the government and people of their respective countries and heads of organisations for the continued support and assistance rendered to Laos over the past years.
Malaysian Ambassador to Laos and Dean of the diplomatic corps, Laos Dato’ Than Tai Hing, made special mention of Laos’ economic growth, saying it is considered to be highest in the region in terms of GDP growth, and faster than the average growth rate of developing Asian countries.
He also emphasised the government’s success in maintaining political stability, security and social order, ensuring that Lao people of all ethnic groups can enjoy their legitimate rights and freedom and actively participate in national development.
Dato’ Than Tai Hing represented other members of the diplomatic corps in expressing their confidence that Laos, as a least developed and landlocked country, through the wise guidance of its leaders, will realise its ambition to transform the country into a hub of connectivity.
This will enable integration of the economy with those of neighbouring countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion and the world.
Referring to the efforts of the Lao government and people to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and graduate from Least Developed Country status, the ambassador also expressed his confidence that Laos would graduate from that status by 2020.
The ambassador also underlined the success of Laos in terms of its pragmatic foreign policy, which has accelerated diplomatic relations with its neighbours and the international community.
This was underscored by the increase in the number of countries with which Laos has diplomatic relations, which has now reached 136.
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