SINGAPORE, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Landlocked Laos is shaping itself into a battery for its power-hungry neighbours, by damming up its rivers to tap hydropower, but the communist state has no plans to introduce democracy, its prime minister told Reuters.
With an average monthly income of less than $2 a day and 80 percent of its 6.5 million population surviving on subsistence farming, Laos is one of the world's poorest countries.
"Compared to the U.S., which is in the 21st century, Laos is still in the 16th or 17th century," Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh said in an interview ahead of the ASEAN Summit.
But the communist-led country, which dropped central planning for market reforms in 1986, is developing fast and saw its economy grow 8 percent in the fiscal year to September 2007.
A Lao delegation led by Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh left Vientiane on Saturday to attend the 13 th Asean Summit, which is being held in Singapore from November 18-22.
Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh ( right ) at the official farewell ceremony on Saturday.
The official farewell ceremony was held on Friday at the Prime Minister's Office, according to a press release from the Prime Minister's Office.
The delegation will also attend other related meetings, including the Asean + 3 ( Japan , China and the Republic of Korea ); the Asean + 1 ( China , Japan , the Republic of Korea and India ); the East Asia Summit; and the Asean-European Union meeting, in conjunction with the 30 th anniversary of cooperation between the two organisations.
The Asean + 3 will be held in conjunction with celebrations of the 10 th anniversary of cooperation.
At the meetings, participants will review previous cooperation among Asean members and dialogue partners, and discuss ways to cooperate in the future, as well as other regional and international issues.
The Asean summit is a meaningful and historical event, which coincides with the 40 th anniversary of its foundation. ...
(KPL) Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh at his office on 15 November received a courtesy visit from new Singaporean Ambassador Benjamin Jeyaraj William who posed as a new ambassador to Laos. PM Bouasone expressed congratulation and welcome for new mission of ambassador to Laos, which considered an enhancement of bilateral relation and cooperation between Laos and Singapore. PM believed that the new ambassador would encourage and promote Singapore’s businessmen to invest in Laos. He has expressed thanks through the new Ambassador to Singaporean government for further assistance to Laos. PM added that the new mission of ambassador would promote and upgrade the co-operation on economic, trade and investment between two countries including a direct flight between Laos and Singapore. The Ambassador has expressed a satisfaction to work in Laos, and informed PM on the purpose of Singaporean Prime Minister relating to further existing co-operation with Lao government in the future. He pledged to further assistance in human resources development to the Lao PDR and also stressed on Singapore’s efforts in the reduction of development gap among ASEAN member countries.
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Booking Period
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22 Oct 2007 - 28 Oct 2007
Travel Period
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Travel Notes
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Vientiane
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(KPL)
Ambassador Designate of the Republic of Singapore to Laos, Mr Jeyaraj
Benjamin William, on 2 October held here a tea reception for the two
Lao students awarded scholarship to further their study in Singapore. The
recipients under Singaporean 2008 ASEAN Secondary Three Scholarship are
two boys Athit Chanthalath and Adari Rasphone. Both will continue their
study at Singapore’s top secondary school and junior college.
The
scholarship programme is part of the Singaporean Government’s long-term
efforts in helping its ASEAN neighbours develop their human resources.
Both grantees will take part in the General Certificate of Education
(Advanced Level) Examinations at the end of their four-year study.
The two Lao students will also prepare themselves to adjust to the
culture and living conditions of Singaporean people, said the
Ambassador Designate.
This is the eighth year Lao students have been offered the ASEAN scholarship from the government of Singapore.
“The students should concentrate on their study and make friends with
Singaporean classmates to exchange culture of their own countries,”
added the ambassador designate.
PM Bouasone expressed congratulation and welcome for new mission of ambassador to Laos, which considered an enhancement of bilateral relation and cooperation between Laos and Singapore. 
Vientiane 
The
recipients under Singaporean 2008 ASEAN Secondary Three Scholarship are
two boys Athit Chanthalath and Adari Rasphone. Both will continue their
study at Singapore’s top secondary school and junior college. 
