Press Releases
Grant Aid to the Lao People's Democratic Republic: Signing and Exchange of Notes on “the Project for the Regional Development through Acceleration of the Clearance of Unexploded Ordnance in the Southern Provinces (Phase 3)”
On October 20, in Vientiane, the capital of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, H.E. Mr. KOIZUMI Tsutomu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), and H.E Mr. Anouparb VONGNORKEO, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, signed and exchanged notes for "the Project for the Regional Development through Acceleration of the Clearance of Unexploded Ordnance in the Southern Provinces (Phase 3)" (project up to 673 million yen).
- Unexploded ordnance (UXO) dropped during the Indochina War remains scattered across the Lao PDR, posing threats to people's lives and impeding the expansion of farmland and infrastructure development. Following fiscal years 2022 and 2024, this project supports the procurement of necessary detection equipment and funding for UXO removal activities in three southern provinces of Lao PDR (Sekong, Saravan, Champasak), where approximately 50 people continue to suffer injuries or lose their lives due to UXO each year. The project aims to accelerate clearance of UXO, thereby contributing to reduction of UXO victims and advancing regional development.
- In the year marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Lao PDR, the bilateral relationship was elevated to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”. The project is in line with the steady implementation of this partnership by contributing to the protection of the lives and livelihoods of the Lao people and supporting the country’s efforts toward autonomous and high-quality economic development.
(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 7.77 million people, and its gross national income (GNI) per capita is US$2,000 (2024, World Bank).