Laos Begins Preparations to Host 2024 ASEAN Summit

Source: Vientiane Times

Preparations are underway for Laos to host the next ASEAN Summit in 2024, with a national-level meeting convened on Thursday at the Prime Minister’s Office to discuss the arrangements.

The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Sonexay Siphandone and attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Saleumxay Kommasith, ministers, deputy ministers, and other senior ministry officials.

Participants reviewed the preparations to date. The committee in charge is responsible for arranging accommodations and vehicles, preparing the summit venue, delegating duties to officials, preparing a budget, and deciding on the content of the summit.

The focus of discussions will be the three pillars of the ASEAN Community, namely the ASEAN Political-Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.

Laos will assume the Chair of ASEAN in 2024. Some 14 sub-committees have been appointed to supervise preparations for the summit.

They will be responsible for arranging meeting venues, readying hotels and restaurants, putting up promotional materials around Vientiane, repairing roads, ensuring communication systems are in place, assigning officials to assist at the summit, and arranging for vehicles to transport delegations from ASEAN member countries, dialogue partners and other attendees. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism have been entrusted to prepare the contents and agenda of the summit. Laos was previously the Chair of ASEAN in 2004-2005 and in 2016, and will again assume the chairmanship for the third time from January 1 to December 31, 2024.