ພັກປະຊາຊົນ ປະຕິວັດລາວ ທີ່ມີກຽດສະຫງ່າ ໝັ້ນຍືນ! ຊົມເຊີຍວັນສ້າງຕັ້ງພັກປະຊາຊົນປະຕິວັດລາວ ຄົບຮອບ 65 ປີ ຢ່າງສຸດໃຈ! ຂໍ່ານັບຮັບຕ້ອນວັນຄ້າຍວັນເກີດປະທານ ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ ຄົບຮອບ 100 ປີ; ວັນສະຖາປະນາ ສປປ ລາວ ຄົບຮອບ 45 ປີ; ກອງປະຊຸມໃຫຍ່ ຄັ້ງທີ XI ຂອງພັກປະຊາຊົນ ປະຕິວັດລາວ; ກອງປະຊຸມໃຫຍ່ອົງຄະນະພັກ ຄັ້ງທີ IV ຂອງກະຊວງການຕ່າງປະເທດ ແລະ ວັນການທູດລາວ ຄົບຮອບ 77 ປີ.

RiseflagLao-asean1 RiseflagLao-asean2

 

Remarks by

H.E. Saleumxay Kommasith, Minister of Foreign Affairs

At the Flag Hoisting Ceremony to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN and 20th Anniversary of Lao PDR’s Accession to ASEAN,

11 August 2017, MOFA, Vientiane, Lao PDR

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Excellencies Ministers, Deputy Ministers,

Ambassadors of ASEAN Member States and Dialogue Partners,

Ladies and gentlemen,

           At the outset, on behalf of the Government of the Lao PDR, it is my great honour to warmly welcome you all to the flags hoisting ceremony, which is one of the activities to mark the 50th Anniversary of the founding of ASEAN (8 August 1967-8 August 2017) and 20th Anniversary of Lao PDR’ accession to ASEAN (23 July 1997-23 July 2017).

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

8 August - ASEAN Day is a very significant day for us all ASEAN Member States as it constitutes the start of ASEAN’s journey towards a regional community that aims to promote regional cooperation in the spirit of equality and partnership and thereby contributing to peace, stability, progress and prosperity in the region and the world at large.

Throughout the past five decades of its existence, ASEAN has endured a myriad of challenges and has adjusted itself to the changing and complex regional and international landscape, taking into account diversity in the region and based on the ASEAN Way. As a result, ASEAN has gradually evolved, gained consistent achievements and become the ASEAN Community today with a firm and strong foundation to move forward at a pace comfortable to all of us. The celebration of 50 years of ASEAN demonstrates the continued relevance of ASEAN as an inter-governmental regional organisation whose centrality is recognized in the evolving regional architecture.We sincerely thank all ASEAN Dialogue Partners and other external partners for all the support and cooperation extended to ASEAN over the last five decades and to be extended in the years to come.

In this respect, the Lao PDR is proud to be a part of the ASEAN family. Thanks to the assistance, support and cooperation from ASEAN Member States and all external partners, we, the Lao PDR, have been able to actively participate in and contribute to all areas of cooperation under the ASEAN framework over the past two decades.

As we gather here today to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN as well as the 20th Anniversary of Lao PDR’s accession to ASEAN, let us continue the spirit of friendship and cooperation, and the spirit of ASEAN Way in our joint journey of peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world in the next 50 years and beyond.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Last but not least, I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to you all for sparing your valuable time to be with us today and look forward to your further participation in other celebratory activities which will be convened on the coming days and months.

On this note, let us begin the flags hoisting ceremony.

- Let us all together celebrate with pride!

- Let our flags fly high in the sky!

Thank you