The Vientiane Times

ASEAN and Japanese defence ministers have agreed to further enhance their cooperation on politics, security, economics, and socio-cultural affairs. As a result of positive relations in these areas to date, Japan has become one of the most important dialogue partners and supporters of ASEAN. Lao ...

Surveys are underway to identify possible routes for the Vientiane-Hanoi highway, which could pass through up to three Lao provinces to link the two capitals but the route has yet to be determined. Laos and Vietnam have being conducting preliminary surveys of three possible routes ...

The Swiss-Lao Hospital Project has provided medical equipment worth about US$1 million for Lao hospitals, aiming to improve conditions for new mothers and newborns around the country. Deputy Director General of the Mother and Newborn Hospital, Dr Sivanesay Chanthavongsouk, said this week the equipment would help ...

Laos is gearing up to submit Luang Prabang province as a contender to receive the ASEAN Clean Tourist City Standard in early 2018. Deputy Director of the Tourism Development Department under the Information, Culture and Tourism Ministry, Ms Phonemaly Inthaphome, told Vientiane Times on November ...

The government has informed the Mekong River Commission that it will proceed with the planned development of a new Mekong hydropower project in Pakbaeng district, Oudomxay province. The MRC Secretariat said on its website that it has received notification from the Lao government that Laos ...

The government and international organisations with a presence in Laos have held a pre-consultation on the Sustainable Development Goals in preparation for the 2016 Round Table Implementation Meeting to be held from November 24-25 in Vientiane province. The 2016 Round Table Implementation Meeting SDG Pre-consultation took ...

ASEAN member states and China will further boost their joint efforts through bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms to tackle transnational crime. ​Transnational crime includes drugs and human trafficking which are increasing in scale as reflected by the large number of young people that fall victim ...

The National Assembly approved a draft-amended Law on Government on November 8 that revises the mandates of the prime minister, ministers and some state departments. The amendments came after the Government Office was renamed the Prime Minister’s Office following the assumption of office of the new ...

Fifty provincial authorities in southern Saravan province under investigation by inspection authorities have been found to have been receiving bribes over the past five years.​ The Provincial Committee of the State and Party Inspection, Mr Khamchan Chemsamone reported at the third meeting on work inspection ...

Poverty reduction has slowed a little but the government will strive to reduce the number of poor families from 6.56 percent in 2016 down to 6.09 percent by 2017, the government has told the National Assembly. There are four main reasons for the slower rate ...