July 3, 2024
VIENTIANE – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith on Monday met the Special Representative of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General for Myanmar, Mrs Julie Bisho, for talks on coordination between two sides.
Mr Saleumxay congratulated Mrs Bisho on her appointment to the post and expressed appreciation for the envoy’s visit to Laos.
In return, Mrs Bisho expressed her appreciation for Laos’ efforts as the chair of ASEAN this year and in implementing the five agreements made by ASEAN leaders, in which both sides will continue to coordinate closely.
Mrs Bisho also met with the former Minister to Laos’ Prime Minister’s Office, Mr Alounkeo Kittikhoun, as the Special Envoy of the Asean Chair on Myanmar for 2024, to discuss and strengthen coordination in the implementation of their duties. Laos is working towards fulfilment of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity.
In addition to 17 global goals, in 2016 the Lao government introduced the national SDG18, ‘Lives Safe from UXO’ (unexploded ordnance), in the presence of then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
As UXO remains an issue affecting national development in multiple dimensions, Laos’ output under this goal contributes to national outcomes under all the other Sustainable Development Goals.