Laos to host ASEAN foreign ministerial retreat in January

File photo : Laotian Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith//Laos News Agency

The incoming ASEAN chair, Laos, will hold its foreign ministerial retreat on 28 and 29 January in Luang Prabang, according to informed diplomatic sources.

The retreat will be the first of hundreds of meetings during the Lao chairmanship throughout 2024, after the new chair launches its action plans and deliverables. The retreat, in the country’s former capital, will be chaired by Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith to map out the overall ASEAN agenda.

During the handover ceremony in Jakarta on September 7, Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone told a press conference that the ASEAN theme will be “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Sustainability”.

Under Vientiane’s leadership, collective efforts will focus on the ASEAN community and will continue to create opportunities in facing geopolitical…