The 11^th EU-Lao PDR Joint Committee Meeting took place in Vientiane on 7 June.

The EU and the Lao PDR exchanged views on a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues. Discussions were held in a friendly and constructive atmosphere and covered in particular trade and investment relations, climate change and environment, sustainable development, human rights, EU-ASEAN cooperation, as well as global and regional issues, including Myanmar, Ukraine and the Middle East.

Regarding Myanmar, the EU and Lao PDR reaffirmed their position that the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus remains the main reference to address the country’s political crisis. The EU expressed appreciation for the work of Alounkeo Kittikhoun, Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair to Myanmar.

The EU congratulated the Lao PDR on its successful ongoing ASEAN Chairmanship. The Lao PDR and the EU both look forward to further upgrading the EU-ASEAN relationship. The Lao PDR welcomed the EU’s support for ASEAN led-mechanisms and noted the EU’s commitment to adhere to all relevant ASEAN-led security mechanisms, including the East Asia Summit, and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus, in full respect of the relevant procedures and processes.

The EU and the Lao PDR reaffirmed their support for the work of the Mekong River Commission.

The EU renewed its commitment to support the Lao PDR’s sustainable development, including through Global Gateway projects aimed at boosting inter-ASEAN connectivity. The EU proposed to develop a Forest Partnership, aimed at supporting sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, and climate action in the Lao PDR, aligning with the EU’s Green Deal objectives and contributing to global environmental goals.  The EU looked forward and committed to support the Lao PDR in the process of graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in the near future. The need for early preparations for a potential GSP+ application was emphasised.

The EU and the Lao PDR looked forward to the next bilateral Human Rights Dialogue, to be held on 2 July 2024 in Brussels. They emphasised the need for concrete deliverables from the Dialogue.

The meeting was co-chaired by Paola Pampaloni, Deputy Managing Director, Asia and the Pacific, European External Action Service, and by Bounleua Phandanouvong, Vice Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR.