Serbia to assist Laos in human resource development
The government of Serbia has expressed its willingness to assist Laos in the field of human resource development, according to the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Mr Mirko Cvetkovic (righ ) greets Dr Thongloun Sisoulith.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Thongloun Sisoulith met with Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic in Belgrade, Serbia, this week, where they discussed various issues including human resource development assistance.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the two countries to improve their bilateral relations, in areas such as economics, trade and education.
The discussions with the Serbian Prime Minister took place during a two-day ministerial meeting marking the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Belgrade from September 5-6, to which the Lao government sent a delegation led by Dr Thongloun.
The ministerial meeting was attended by ministers and deputy ministers of foreign affairs from some 100 country members and international organisation representatives.
Serbian President Boris Tadic, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, Parliament President Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, other cabinet ministers and the gathering’s formal host, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, attended the opening ceremony. The Non-Aligned Movement was established in 1961 with only 25 member countries at the time, while today it comprises two-thirds of all United Nations member countries.
Dr Thongloun delivered a speech at the meeting outlining the history of the Movement and its importance to the Lao PDR.
He told the visiting delegates that 50 years ago, in this very place, our founding fathers met and adopted the objectives and principles of peace, independence, sovereignty, equality and non interference that have constituted the key principles of the Non-Aligned Movement.
They stood for unity of the developing world in defence of their political and economic sovereignty and their choice of political systems.
This has provided fundamental guidance for nations around the world, including the Lao people in their struggle for independence and sovereignty, he told meeting participants. By upholding the principles of the NAM and with the forces of the Movement, the struggle by the Lao people against colonialism and foreign aggressors has been won, leading to the establishment of the Lao PDR in 1975.
Today, 50 years on, we stand proud of the achievements that our Movement has made throughout the past five decades. We have lived up to our expectations to liberate a number of countries from imperialism and colonialism and we have been able to consolidate our voice and made it heard in order to promote and protect the interests and benefits of our members as well as all developing countries across the world, Dr Thongloun said.
However, since the inception of the NAM, the global landscape and international political, economic and social environment has experienced rapid changes with new opportunities and circumstances that have challenged the relevance and significance of our Movement. We, the members of NAM, should stand firm in the defence of the fundamental principles and objectives of our Movement, he said.
The NAM has to enhance our efforts to tackle poverty and underdevelopment, which continues to cripple our people in the world and make us a marginalised section of the global population.
The NAM needs to find the right solution to various current conflicts and regional instability.
The NAM has to alleviate the impacts of c limate change which have been made evident by various current natural calamities across all regions in the world. We should intensify our efforts to ensure that our Movement can play a significant role in all areas of international affairs including in the United Nations in order to preserve the founding principles of the Non-Aligned Movement, Dr Thongloun continued.
It is important for us to take advantage of the 50 year commemoration of the Movement to reinvigorate our Movemen t’s principles, ideals and purposes, he said. As a member of the NAM, the Lao PDR reaffirms its continued commitment to defending, preserving and promoting the Movement’s principles and objectives and will continue to actively support and participate in the work of the Movement.
