Japan-Laos Relations 
August 2011
Basic Data
- Diplomatic Relations:
- Established in March 1955
- Number of Residents:
- Number of Japanese residing in Laos: 295 (March1999)
- Number of Laos residing in Japan: 1,352 (March1999)
- Trade with Japan (1999):
- Exports: 1,548 million yen (timber)
- Imports: 2,576 million yen (machinery, autos, steel manufacture)
- Direct Investment from Japan:
- At the end of 1997, there were 22 direct investments in Laos totaling about 14 million dollar. Thirty-eight Japanese companies have set up operations in Laos.
- Japan's Economic Cooperation:
- List of Exchange of Notes
- Loans: 9.1 billion yen (Cumulative Toal FY1996-FY1999)
- Grants: 74.3 billion yen (Cumulative Toal FY1996-FY1999)
- Technical Cooperation: 21.2 billion yen (Cumulative Toal FY1996-FY1999)
VIP Visits
- From Japan to Laos
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Year Name 1993 State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Koji Kakizawa 1995 Japan-Laos Parliamentary Friendship League 1997 State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Masahiko Koumura 1998 State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Nobutaka Machimura 1999 Their Imperial Highness Prince and Princess Akishino 2000 Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi 2004 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobutaka Machimura - From Laos to Japan
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Year Name 1993 Minister of Foreign Affairs Somsavat Lengsavad 1995 Prime Minister Khamtay Siphandone Minister of Industry and Handicraft Soulivong Daravong 1996 Minister of Foreign Affairs Somsavat Lengsavad 2011 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongloun Sisoulith
Cultural Grant (cumulative total fiscal 1975-2004)
479.1 million yen (Cultural Grant Aid)
244.6 million yen (Grant Aid for Cultural Heritage)
7.3 million yen (Grant Assistance for Cultural Grassroots Projects)
Recent Trends
- The visit of Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Akishino
- T.I.H. Prince and Princess Akishino paid an official visit to Laos from 1 to 4 July 1999. It was the first visit to Laos by Japanese Imperial family members, and it is expected to further strengthen the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries.
- Economic Cooperation
- Since 1991, Japan has been the top-ranking donor in Laos and cooperationg mainly in the area of human resources development, basic human needs, agriculture and forestry and industrial infrastructure.
Today, under the influence of Asian financial crisis, the Government of Laos has a lot of difficulties in the macroeconomic management. In this context, Laos and Japan have started the preparation of macroeconomic policy planning cooperation in August 1999.
- Meeting between Minister for Foreign Affairs Koichiro Gemba and Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad of Laos (November 2011)
- Courtesy Call on Mr. Naoto Kan, Prime Minister by Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (August 2011)
- Meeting between Mr. Takeaki Matsumoto, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (August 2011)
- Visit to Japan by His Excellency Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Mrs. Naly Sisoulith (July 2011)
- Second Joint Committee Meeting under Agreement between Japan and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic for the Liberalization, Promotion and Protection of Investment (October 2010)
- Mr. Osamu Fujimura, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Japan, to Attend “Mekong-Japan International Conference on East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) and Southern Economic Corridor (SEC)” (Visit to Thailand, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Cambodia) (September 2010)
- Meeting Between Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Thongsing Thammavong, President of the National Assembly of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (May 2010)
- Courtesy Call on H.E. Mr. Bouasone Bouphavanh, Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, by Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan (May 2010)
- Joint Statement "Strengthening Comprehensive Partnership toward Enduring Friendship and Regional Prosperity" (March 2010)
- Signing Ceremony for the Exchange of Notes for General Grant Aid for the Lao People's Democratic Republic (March 2010)
- Visit to Japan of His Excellency Mr. Choummaly Sayasone President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Secretary General of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and Mrs. Keosaychay Sayasone (February 2010)
- Japanese ODA Loan to the Lao People's Democratic Republic (November 2009)
- Emergency Aid to the Lao People's Democratic Republic for the Typhoon Disaster (October 2009)
- First Joint Committee Meeting under Agreement between Japan and the Lao People's Democratic Republic for the Liberalization, Promotion and Protection of Investment (March 2009)
- Foreign Minister Nakasone's Visit to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand (January 2009)
- National Awareness Workshop on the Chemical Weapons Convention to be Held in Laos (December 2008)
- Emergency Assistance to the Lao People's Democratic Republic for Flood Disaster (August 2008)
- Entry into Force of the Agreement between Japan and the Lao People's Democratic Republic for the Liberalisation, Promotion and Protection of Investment Agreement (August 2008)
- Exchange of Diplomatic Notes for the Entry into Force of the Agreement between Japan and the Lao People's Democratic Republic for the Liberalisation, Promotion and Protection of Investment Agreement (July 2008)
- Visit to Japan by H.E. Mr. Choummaly Sayasone, President of the People's Democratic Republic of Laos and Secretary General of the Laos People's Revolutionary Party (May 2008)
- Signing of Investment Agreement between Japan and Laos (January 2008)
- Outline of Japan-Laos Investment Agreement (January 16, 2008)
- Agreement between Japan and the Lao People's Democratic Republic for the Liberalisation, Promotion and Protection of Investment (Japan-Laos Investment Agreement) [PDF]
- Information on Non-Conforming Measures referred to in paragraphs 2 and 4 of Article 8 of the Agreement between Japan and the Lao People's Democratic Republic for the Liberalisation, Promotion and Protection (August 3, 2008)
- Visit to Japan by H.E. Mr. Bouasone Bouphavanh, Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (May 2007)
- The First Round of the Negotiation on the Japan-Lao Bilateral Investment Agreement (March 2007)
- Dispatch of Government Delegation on Anti-Human-Trafficking Measures (January 2007)
- Mr. Katsuhito Asano, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, to Visit China, Laos, and Cambodia (December 2006)
- Visit to Japan by Mr. Thongloun Sisoulit, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Laos (December 2006)
- Assistance for "Social and Economic Rehabilitation of Former Opium Poppy-growing Communities--Alternative Livelihood Development in Lao PDR" Project (November 2006)
- Dr. Kiyohiko Toyama, Vice-Minister (Parliamentary) for Foreign Affairs, to Visit Laos and Sri Lanka (June 2006)
- New Initiative of Japan's assistance for the CLV (Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam) (December 2005)
- Major projects of Japan's Initiative for the Mekong Region Development (December 2005)
- Support to Development of social safety nets in health in Lao PDR through scaling up voluntary community based health insurance in Lao PDR (May 2005)
- The 50th Anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Japan and the Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Message from H.E. Mr. Junichiro KOIZUMI, Prime Minister of Japan to H.E. Mr. Bounnhang Vorachith, Prime Minister of the Lao PDR (March 2005)
- Message from H.E. Mr. Nobutaka MACHIMURA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan to H.E. Mr. Somsavat LENGSAVAD, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR (March 2005)
- Japan-Myanmar Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Japan-Laos Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Japan-CLV (Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam) Foreign Ministers' Working Dinner and Japan-Thailand Foreign Ministers' Meeting (November 2004)
- Joint Press Release of Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam (CLV) and Japan Summit (November 2004)
- Press Conference by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi following the ASEAN+3 Summit (November 2004)
- Message sent by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to the people of the Lao PDR on his visit to the Lao PDR to attend the ASEAN+3 Summit in Vientiane (November 2004)
- Assistance to Laos for Measures against Avian Influenza (March 2004)
- Agreement on Technical Cooperation between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (December 2003) [English (PDF)] [Japanese (PDF)]
- Assistance for Prevention of Trafficking in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (June 2003)
- Joint Press Statement - Quadripartite Ministerial Meeting on the Utilization of the Second Thai-Lao Mekong Bridge (Mukdahan-Savannakhet) and the Development of Areas along the Eastern Part of the East-West Economic Corridor (November 2001)
- Japanese Government's Cooperation to Asia in the field of Information and Communications Technology (IT) (July 2001)
- Grant Aid to Laos for Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship and Two Other Projects (January 2000)
- Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's visit to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand (January 2000)
- Visit to Japan of Mr. Somsavat Lengsavad, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos (September 1999)
(Open a New Window)Press Secretary's Press Conference on Laos
| Year | Month | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | November | 28 |
| April | 27 | |
| March | 10 | |
| February | 10 | |
| 2005 | March | 29 |
| 2004 | August | 27 |
| March | 23 | |
| 2003 | November | 14 |
| 1999 | October | 1 |
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