VIENTIANE, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Lao government officials and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) met in Lao capital Vientiane Wednesday, reviewing their cooperation and discussing more effective future joint activities.
The Third National Conference on the Review of the Cooperation between the Government of Laos and INGOs was attended by Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith, ambassadors and INGO representatives.
The meeting reviewed fields of cooperation since 2015, and assessed the successes and challenges encountered, as well as future cooperation between the Lao government and INGOs.
Lao Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongphane Savanphet said since 2015, some 313 projects and 44 activities had been approved with a total value of about 376 million U.S. dollars.
In the future, continued improvement of coordination between government, local authorities and INGOs was needed to better manage and implement the projects, local daily Vientiane Times on Thursday quoted Thongphane as saying.
Also speaking at the meeting, Minister Saleumxay stressed the need for meeting participants to discuss productive forms of future cooperation to accelerate the country's development and further improve people's livelihoods.
There are currently 159 INGOs working in Laos, according to the report.
