Message of H.E. Saleumxay Kommasith,

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR

on the Occasions of the 49^h Anniversary of the Founding of ASEAN

and the 19^th Anniversary of Lao PDR’s accession to ASEAN

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Leaders of the Party and the State,

Officials, Soldiers, Police Officers and fellow Lao Compatriots,

On the occasions of the 49^th Anniversary of the founding of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN (8 August 1967 – 8 August 2016) and the 19^th Anniversary of Lao PDR’s accession to ASEAN (23 July 1997 – 23 July 2016), on behalf of the Government of Lao PDR, I would like to express my warm greetings to the Leaders of the Party and the State, officials, soldiers, police officers and all Lao peopleacross the country and Lao people living abroad as well as foreigners working and residing in the Lao PDR.

Excellencies, Fellow Compatriots, Ladies and Gentlemen,

            Over the past 5 decades, ASEAN as a regional inter-governmental organization, having gone through various kinds of test, has gradually evolved with progressive achievements and became a region of peace, stability, sustained economic growth and enhanced people-to-people exchange. All this has enabled ASEAN to realize the establishment of the ASEAN Community on 31 December 2015, which marked an important milestone for ASEAN.

            The ASEAN Community is a community of opportunities not only for the over 620 million peoples of ASEAN, but also for countries outside the region. ASEAN has become a single market and production base with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of USD 2.43 trillion in 2015, ranking as the 6^th largest economy in the world. In years to come, ASEAN’s economy is expected to grow at 7% per annum; its combined GDP is anticipated to reach USD 4.7 trillion by 2020 providing potential for ASEAN to become the 4^th largest world economy by 2030. ASEAN is not only integral, but also central to the evolving regional architecture. Moreover, ASEAN is a unique inter-governmental organization comprising 10 Member States characterized by diverse cultures, religions and languages, among others. But ASEAN has managed to foster effective cooperation with one another under the ASEAN Community. The Lao PDR is proud to be part of this ASEAN Community.

          ASEAN’s remarkable achievements made thus far have been the result of cooperation within ASEAN and between ASEAN and its external partners, through the ASEAN-initiated mechanisms in accordance with the ASEAN way, which is based on the particularity and reality of the region, the spirit of which ASEAN will continue in the future.

Fellow Compatriots, Ladies and Gentlemen,

ASEAN Community building is an on-going process, the 27^th ASEAN Summit at the end of 2015 in Kuala Lumpur laid out the future direction for ASEANfor the next ten years by adopting the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and Blueprints for the three community pillars namely, the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint, ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint aimed at further strengthening and advancing the ASEAN Community.

It is the great honor for the Lao PDR to be entrusted to assume ASEAN Chairmanship for the second time in 2016, which is an important and meaningful year for ASEAN, as it is the first year that ASEAN opens up a new chapter as the ASEAN Community, and also implements the ASEAN Community Vision 2025. Based on this spirit, the Lao PDR had chosen the theme “Turning Vision into Reality for a Dynamic ASEAN Community”  for its ASEAN Chairmanship 2016 and identified 8 priorities namely: 1) implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, 2) narrowing the development gap, 3) trade facilitation, 4) small and medium enterprises development, 5) tourism development, 6) connectivity, 7) transition from informal employment to formal employment towards decent work promotion in ASEAN, and 8) reinforcing cultural heritage cooperation in ASEAN.

It has now been 7 months since the Lao PDR assumed ASEAN Chairmanship. We have hosted and chaired several important meetings at different levels such as the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat, 49^th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and related Meetings, 15^th Meeting of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council, 48^th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting, 10^th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting, 24^th ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Meeting and others.

Good progress has also been made in the implementation of the 8 priorities particularly the finalization of a number of documents such as the Vientiane Declaration on Transition from Informal Employment to Formal Employment towards Decent Work Promotion in ASEAN, while other documents such as the IAI Work Plan III, Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025, Vientiane Declaration on Reinforcing Cultural Heritage Cooperation in ASEAN, ASEAN Trade Facilitation Framework, ASEAN Framework on Access of SMEs to Finance, supporting an Enabling Environment for SMEs Establishment and Development, Statement on Promoting Sustainable Development Cooperation and Vientiane Declaration on Promoting Infrastructure Development Cooperation in East Asia are in the process of finalization. These documents will be adopted during the 28^th and 29^th ASEAN Summits and related Summits on 6-8 September 2016 in Vientiane.

            I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere appreciation to ASEAN Member States, ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners and other external partners, friendly countries and regional and international organisations for the continued cooperation, assistance and support extended to the Lao PDR as the Chair of ASEAN throughout the past 7 months. I do hope that such valuable cooperation, assistance and support will continue in order to ensure the success of the 28^th and 29^th ASEAN Summits and related Summits.

Fellow Compatriots, Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Party and the State, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all Lao people for their active contributionand support to Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2016 throughbeing a good host, among others. In early September 2016, the Lao PDR will host and chair the 28^th and 29^th ASEAN Summits and related Summits altogether 11 Summits.The Leaders from 17 countries, the Secretary-General of ASEAN and Secretary-General of the United Nations will attend these events.On this occasion, there will also be official bilateral visits by Heads of State/Government of a number of countries. I would like to call on all Lao people to continue to contribute, in accordance with your respective roles and responsibilities, to be a good host so as to ensure the successful outcomes of the said Summits in all areas.

Last but not least, may I extend my best wishes of good health and great success to the Leaders of the Party and the State, officials, soldiers, police officers, businessmen, entrepreneurs and all Lao people, including overseas Lao along with foreigners working and residing in the Lao PDR. Let us together commemorate the 49^th Anniversary of ASEAN and the 19^th Anniversary of Lao PDR’s accession to ASEAN in a joyful and meaningful manner, thereby contributing to the success of Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2016.

           Thank you.

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