Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the United States of America, I extend greetings to the people of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on the occasion of the Lao New Year.

This year we celebrate the fifth anniversary of our Comprehensive Bilateral Partnership, which is based on mutual respect, common interests, and a shared desire to build a stronger foundation for the future of our nations. The United States greatly appreciates the Lao PDR’s crucial work as ASEAN country coordinator in advancing our shared global and Indo-Pacific priorities. As we look forward, we are committed to working with you to strengthen people-to-people ties and promote our cooperative efforts on COVID-19 recovery, climate change, regional security, and expanded trade and investment.

We wish the people of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic a happy and healthy New Year.