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| Map: Laos. Credit: CIA World Factbook. |
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Lao People's Democratic Republic's National Day
Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 30, 2012
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on your National Day this December 2.
This year marks 57 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Laos, and my visit in July affirmed the growing relationship between our two countries. The United States remains committed to working with the Lao Government and other partners to increase access to healthcare, build on our food security initiative, promote economic development, and reduce the impact of unexploded ordnance and accounting for the remains of U.S. military service members.
We congratulate Laos on its accession to the World Trade Organization, a milestone for your economic reforms that will serve you well for new investment opportunities. Laos has taken significant strides to become a more prominent member of the international community, including through its leadership in the Lower Mekong Initiative, and the United States welcomes the opportunity to strengthen our partnership even more.
I wish all Laotians continued peace, prosperity, and happiness in the coming year.
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| Map: Laos: Credit: CIA World Factbook. |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK
Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th Century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1988. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997.
