Germany commits to further development support in Laos.

Germany will continue to assist Laos in its efforts towards sustainable development with a focus on natural resource and human resource management, according to the German ambassador. German Ambassador to Laos, Jens Peter Lutkenherm, who began his diplomatic mission early last month, revealed this direction of cooperation in an interview with Vientiane Times on Friday when he visited the German Language Department of the National University of Laos (NUoL). �We have broadened our cooperation programme with two main topics, one of which is sustainable development in the most poor regions,� Mr Lutkenherm said. He mentioned a number of different projects relating to land management, infrastructure development, and environmental protection as being some of the most outstanding cooperation projects undertaken between Germany and Laos. �Germany is running a very broad programme of development cooperation here in Laos. We will continue to cooperate on a high level in the future,� he added. German programmes and projects in Laos have been guided by Laos' National Socio-Economic Development Plans (NSEDP) with Germany being the second largest bilateral donor after Japan in the implementation of the seventh (previous) NSEDP. German assistance has been implemented through the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ). Its projects are in all provinces of Laos and focus on poverty-oriented regional rural development, sustainable climate friendly projects, environmental management, natural resources, economic development, employment promotion, and financial system development. �Germany is a very important bilateral development partner for Laos,� the ambassador said. The Department of German Language at the NUoL and the Lao-German Technical College were mentioned by the ambassador as being highlights of educational cooperation between the two countries. �The Lao-German Technical College is a very successful and important institution of vocational education in Laos, and we will continue to support the college,� Mr Lutkenherm said. Germany has also lent a hand to Laos with cultural heritage conservation, especially in the collection and cataloguing of palm leaf manuscripts. Tourism is another possibility for development with German support. Mr Lutkenherm said Laos was a very attractive country and Germany welcomed the idea of making it more attractive to foreign visitors. Germans are ranked third among European nations in their arrivals in Laos after visitors from France and the United Kingdom. The number of Germans visiting Laos has increased every year, from 17,000 people in 2009, about 22,000 people in 2010, some 23,000 visitors in 2012, about 29,200 in 2013, 29,800 in 2014, and around 32,000 people in 2015. �I am confident that the number of German tourists coming to Laos will increase further in the future,� Mr Lutkenherm said. Laos and the Federal Republic of Germany will celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations next year. �We want to support Laos and the Lao government with the national plan for socio-economic development, and also the plan for Laos to be more integrated in the region, within Asean,� Ambassador Lutkenherm said. By Somxay Sengdara (Latest Update October 3, 2017)