Press Releases
Signing and Exchange of Notes concerning the grant aid projects for Human Resource Development Scholarship to the Lao PDR
June 25, 2025
On June 25, 2025, in Vientiane, the capital of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mr. KOIZUMI Tsutomu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and H.E. Mrs. Phongsamouth ANLAVAN, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, signed and exchanged notes concerning the grant aid project for the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship (grant provision of up to 420 million yen).
- The Lao PDR faces various development challenges, including fiscal stabilization and industrial diversification. To address these challenges, it is necessary to develop young administrative officials and improve the administrative capabilities of government agencies and relevant ministries. This project will support up to 21 young Lao government officials in obtaining master's and doctoral degrees from Japanese graduate schools in fiscal year 2026.
- Through the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” between the two countries, Japan will continue to support the Lao PDR’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is expected that the human resources nurtured through this project will contribute to addressing key development challenges at the core of the Lao government, and will further strengthen bilateral relations through enhanced mutual understanding and the development of people-to-people networks between the two countries in this year marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Japan-Laos diplomatic relations.
(Reference) Basic Data on the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
The country covers 240,000 square kilometers (about the same size as Japan's main island of Honshu) with a population of approximately 7.63 million people and, its gross national income (GNI) per capita is US$2,120 (2023, World Bank).