Press Releases
Meeting between State Minister for Foreign Affairs MIYAJI and H.E. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phout Simmalavong, Minister of Education and Sports of the Lao People's Democratic Republic
June 3, 2025
On June 3, commencing at 10:50 a.m. for approximately 30 minutes , Mr. MIYAJI Takuma, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, met with H.E. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phout Simmalavong, Minister of Education and Sports of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- At the beginning of the meeting, State Minister Miyaji welcomed Minister Phout's visit to Japan on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Lao PDR as well as the 60th anniversary of JICA's Volunteer Program. He also expressed his respect for the efforts of Minister Phout, a Japanese Government Scholarship alumnus and President of the Laos-Japan Friendship Association, to further strengthen Japan-Lao relations and stated that Japan would like to continue to promote education, sports, and youth exchange for young generation so as to further develop bilateral relationship, which has been elevated to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”.
- In response, Minister Phout expressed his appreciation and gratitude for Japan's assistance and mutual exchange initiatives in the field of education, which is the foundation of national development. He also expressed his hope that the knowledge gained through this visit to Japan with the cooperation of JICA will be utilized to enhance the management and operational capability of the “Chao Anouvong Stadium,” which is being renovated under the Japanese Grant Aid, so that the stadium will be widely used by athletes and citizens as a symbol of friendship between the two countries.
(Reference) Lao People's Democratic Republic Basic Data
The Lao People's Democratic Republic has an area of approximately 240,000 square kilometers (about the same size as Japan's main island), a population of approximately 7.63 million (World Bank, 2023), and a gross national income per capita of US$2,120 (World Bank, 2023).