Press Releases
Grant Aid to the Lao People's Democratic Republic: Signing and Exchange of Notes on “the Food Assistance Programme”
December 9, 2025
On December 9 (same day local time), in Vientiane, the capital of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), H.E. Mr. KOIZUMI Tsutomu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and Mr. Marc-Andre PROST, Country Director, World Food Programme in Lao PDR, signed and exchanged notes for "the Food Assistance Programme" (project up to 200 million yen).
- The Lao PDR is highly vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods, and heavy rains and flooding in September and October before the harvest season have led to a decline in agricultural yields. In addition, due to the recent sharp rise in prices and other factors, access to food has deteriorated in the southern region including Sekong Province.
- In response to a request from the Government of the Lao PDR, this cooperation aims to provide food assistance to areas in urgent need of support, including Sekong Province in the southern region, in coordination with WFP.
- In 2025, 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”. This cooperation is intended to support the efforts of the Lao PDR to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by stabilizing people’s livelihoods and improving their nutritional status. These aims align with the steady implementation of cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
(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).