Mr. President,

Distinguished delegates,

As we all are aware, COVID-19 has caused major impacts and hampered socioeconomic development in every country. Being both an LDC and Landlocked, the Lao PDR is facing multiple challenges due to stringent lockdown and border closing. Key sectors such as tourism and agriculture, among others, have been hardest hit while trade and FDI have continued to decline, further compounded by debt distress.

To overcome these challenges, my delegation is of the view that strengthening partnership and multilateral cooperation remain critical so as no one is left behind. It is imperative that the international community must work together to further reinforce our collective response and adopt concrete action in order to effectively address the on-going global crisis and ensure sustainable development. In this connection, we believe that multilateral cooperation will bring about benefits for all and help the most vulnerable countries to become more resilient during this challenging time. In this regard, we call on the international community,  international financial institutions, and development partners to honor their commitments in providing necessary support measures to least developed countries and build their productive capacities.

I wish to conclude by reaffirming the Lao PDR’s firm commitment to uphold multilateral cooperation and enhance partnership with other member states, UN agencies and all stakeholders in moving forward and attain the SDGs by 2030. Taking this opportunity, I wish to express my sincere thanks to international community and development partners for the continued assistance and support provided to the Lao PDR to overcome the current and future challenges.
Thank you.