A new development stage opens for “Land of a Million Elephants”

The 11th National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) successfully concluded on January 15 after three effective working days. With a high sense of responsibility, 768 official delegates, representing the nearly 350,000 members of the LPRP unanimously approved the Congress documents, opening a new stage of development for the Lao revolution, strengthening the great national unity bloc, implementing reform policies, ensuring political stability, creating strong movement in socio-economic development, improving the living quality of the people and steadily moving forward in accordance with the goals of socialism.

The Congress elects a new Politburo with 13 members, a Central Committee comprising 71 official members and 10 alternate members, along with a secretariat with nine members.
The Congress elects a new Politburo with 13 members, a Central Committee comprising 71 official members and 10 alternate members, along with a secretariat with nine members.

The Party, State and people of Vietnam sincerely send the Party, State, people, comrades and brothers of Laos our warmest greetings on the successful results of this Congress. We firmly believe that, under the sound leadership of the LPRP headed by General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith, the Lao people will successfully implement the Resolutions of the 11th National Congress of the LPRP, gaining more achievements in national construction and development according to the goals of socialism, as well as opening a new era for the “Land of a Million Elephants”.

At the 11th National Congress of the LPRP, delegates focused on researching, discussing and approving the Political Report of the 11th National Congress, the country’s 9th Socio-economic Development Plan for 2021-2025, the Amended Charter of the LPRP, and the Resolutions of the 11th National Congress. They elected a new Politburo with 13 members, a Central Committee comprising 71 official members and 10 alternate members, along with a secretariat with nine members. At the first meeting of the LPRP Central Committee, comrade Thongloun Sisoulith was elected as General Secretary. Comrade Bunthong Chitmani was elected as a Standing member of the 11th LPRP Central Committee’s Secretariat.

According to the Political Report submitted to the Congress, under the leadership of the LPRP, in the past five years, Laos has achieved many important milestones, implementing the Resolutions of the 10th National Party Congress, such as ensuring political stability, maintaining the nation’s independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity; promoting the great national unity bloc and leading the country to overcoming economic recession. Hunger eradication and poverty reduction continued to see many positive results; major national projects have stayed on schedule; innovation has been promoted in the fields of industrial production, financial and banking services, and state management services. Over the past five years, Laos’ economy has achieved a good growth rate with per capita income in 2020 reaching US$2,664. The results in implementing the Resolutionsof the 10th National Party Congress contributed to firmly defending the revolutionary achievements the Party, State and people of Laos have achieved 35 years after adopting a reform path, enhancing the role and position of the country in the international arena, creating an important driving force for innovation in the coming years, all helping the LPRP continue to lead the country firmly on its path to socialism.

From such great and historic results, the 11th National Congress of the LPRP set out the direction and key tasks for the new period in order to maintain economic growth and improve the living conditions of the people, improve the quality of infrastructure, and enhance the efficiency of state management and administration. The 9th Socio-economic Development Plan for 2021-2025 of the Lao Government set the target of Laos’ average annual economic growth reaching 4% and per capita income reaching US$2,887 by 2025. The Government will focus on stabilising its exchange rate and managing inflation. Investment will be mobilised from various sources to support all forms of development, hoping to reach 19.6% of the GDP.

The two peoples of Vietnam and Laos have long been close as both neighbours and brothers. The great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos is an invaluable legacy that President Ho Chi Minh, President Souphanouvong, and President Kaysone Phomvihane, as well as generations of leaders of the two Parties, States and peoples have wholeheartedly nurtured. The relationship between the two Parties, States and peoples plays an important role in the cause of defending national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and the building of socialism in each country, actively contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and around the world. The Party, State and people of Vietnam affirm that in any circumstances, we will do our best together with the Party, State and people of Laos to preserve, nurture and pass on to future generations the Vietnam - Laos special solidarity.

Congratulating them on the success of the 11th National Congress of the LPRP, the Vietnamese people firmly believe that, under the leadership of the LPRP, the Lao people will continue to achieve numerous new and great achievements in the cause of national renewal, defence and construction, successfully implementing the Resolutions of the 11th National Congress of the LPRP; successfully building Laos as an independent, democratic, unified and prosperous country according to the goals of socialism. On this occasion, the Party, State and people of Vietnam expressed our sincere and deep gratitude for the great, precious goodwilland effective support and assistance the Party, State, and people of Laos devoted to the Party, State and people of Vietnam in terms of both national liberation and reunification in the past, as well as in national reform, construction and defence nowadays.

May the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, the bond and trust between the two Parties, States and peoples, be forever green and sustainable.