Photo: COPE Visitor Centre’s Facebook page
Grete Løchen, Norway’s Ambassador to Vietnam together with Dag-Inge Ulstein, Norway’s Minister of International Development and delegations paid a courtesy visit to Vientiane, Laos on Friday, 29 March 2019 to meet with representatives from Laos’ government as well as Norway’s organizations working in Laos.
Løchen and Ulstein started their day in the capital of Laos by meeting with Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith. They discussed common and multilateral interests relating to bilateral collaboration and also the on-going issue toward unexploded ordnances (UXOs) left behind from the Vietnam War, including cluster munitions.
Later, they met with the representatives from Norwegian Peoples Aid and COPE Vientiane, a non-profit organization providing prosthetic limbs, mobility assistance and rehabilitation for underprivileged Lao people.
Photo: COPE Visitor Centre’s Facebook page
During the meeting with NPA and COPE, the Ambassador and the Minister had a chance to learn more about the significant works of NPA and COPE that supported Laos in the areas of UXOs clearance and helping people injured by unexploded ordnance.
According to Norwegian Embassy in Hanoi’s Facebook page, Norway committed to constantly assist Laos so that Laos can manage to fulfill its obligations under the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
“Minister Ulstein was impressed with the personal engagement of both Prime Minister Sisoulith and Foreign Minister Kommasith regarding the Convention on Cluster Munitions and clearance of UXOs.” wrote the Embassy
Minister Ulstein also handed an invitation to representatives of the Lao government for participating in the fourth review conference of the Mine Ban Treaty that will take place in November 2019 at Oslo, Norway.
