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.