Diplomatic World_nummer 57
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Ketsavanh in Luang Prabang<br />
© Toulou Panyathip<br />
The last three decades have seen positive and fruitful<br />
developments in Laos’ cooperation with the Francophone<br />
authorities and agencies, since its full membership<br />
conferred at the 4th OIF Summit held in Paris, in November<br />
1991. It was at this summit meeting that late President<br />
Kaysone Phomvihane of the Lao PDR headed the official<br />
delegation in conjunction with the first and ever state visit<br />
to France by the Lao President of the Republic.<br />
As well as welcoming working visits to Laos by OIF<br />
personalities, conferences and activities have been organised<br />
directly relating to improving the capacity and valorisation<br />
of French-teaching, learning and application. It is also worth<br />
highlighting the support of the OIF for the establishment<br />
of Renovateur weekly. This support has lead to related<br />
activities organised under The OIF and APEFE Belgiumsupported<br />
Vocational Training Program (Cambodia,<br />
Laos, Vietnam). There is also much technical support<br />
provided to Laos’ SMEs, inauguration and advancement<br />
of bilingual Lao-French classes in thirteen primary<br />
establishments in four main cities, Vientiane Capital, Luang<br />
Prabang, Savannakhet and Paksé, with more than 3.000<br />
students having enrolled in 2010. The number of students<br />
commencing French learning in more than 80 colleges each<br />
year was around 30.000, making the total of French learners<br />
and students in secondary schools around 500.000 in the<br />
school year 2016-2017.<br />
Recently, there has been a mission to Belgium with an aim<br />
to visit some francophone universities, by the Francophone<br />
President and Vice-President of Savannakhet University<br />
(SKU), which is one of the three universities in Laos, which<br />
incorporates the French Language Teaching Programme<br />
(Applied Language), and teaches around 120 students<br />
taking French as their First Major, and over 300 students<br />
taking French as their second major. Their students have<br />
become more and more keen to take ‘Applied French<br />
Language’ as more employment opportunities have been<br />
created for them in sectors like tourism and light industries<br />
in Special Economic Zones of the neighbourhood localities.<br />
China is investing a lot in its Silk Road project<br />
which combines logistic routes between Europe<br />
and the Eastern coast of Asia, as well as cultural<br />
exchanges. Can you explain the part played by<br />
Laos in this initiative ?<br />
Keeping with the theme and guiding principles of the 9th<br />
Asia-Europe Summit (ASEM) hosted by the Lao People’s<br />
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