Press Releases
Grant Assistance to Laos: Signing and Exchange of Notes on the Provision of Human Resource Development Scholarship
June 22, 2026
On June 22 (same day local time), 2026, in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, Mr. KOIZUMI Tsutomu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Laos, and H.E. Mr. Anouparb VONGNORKEO, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos, signed and exchanged notes concerning the grant aid project for Human Resource Development Scholarship (project up to 378 million yen).
- The Lao PDR is located at the center of the Indochina Peninsula and shares borders with five neighboring countries, serving as a key hub in the Mekong region. It plays an important role in enhancing regional connectivity and strengthening ASEAN unity. Under the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” between Japan and the Lao PDR, the two countries have maintained close cooperation, including in the international arena. Further strengthening relations with the Lao PDR will contribute to the realization of an updated “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP).”
- The Lao PDR faces various development challenges, including fiscal stabilization and economic diversification. To address these challenges, it is necessary to strengthen administrative capacity and institutional development. In this context, this project will support young administrative officials and others expected to play key roles in the Lao Government by enabling their participation in training and research activities in Japan.
- It is expected that the human resources nurtured through this cooperation will contribute to the socio-economic development of the Lao PDR upon their return, while also promoting mutual understanding and the building people-to-people networks between Japan and the Lao PDR, thereby further strengthening bilateral relations.
(Reference) Basic Data on Laos
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).