Activities of Secretary-General in Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 9-12 October
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres departed New York in the early hours of Wednesday morning, 9 October, and arrived in Vientiane on early 10 October. He would attend the fourteenth ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations]-UN Summit.
The Secretary-General met with Jin Liqun, President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. They discussed the reform of the international financial architecture.
On Friday morning, the Secretary-General addressed the ASEAN-UN Summit in Vientiane. He underscored the importance of the relationship between the two organizations which, he said, is a strategic partnership. In a world with growing geopolitical divides, with dramatic impacts on peace and security and sustainable development, ASEAN is a bridge-builder and a messenger for peace, he said.
He also underscored how much the United Nations is grateful for ASEAN’s important contribution to UN peacekeeping operations. The Secretary-General took the opportunity to express his solidarity with Indonesia, as two of its peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were wounded yesterday by Israeli fire in south Lebanon.
The Secretary-General outlined the key areas of the recently adopted Pact for the Future, which offers a strong vision for the time ahead. (See Press Release SG/SM/22407.)
In a press conference, the Secretary-General was asked about the wounding of the two peacekeepers in Lebanon, and he condemned the shooting against the UN premises in which the two peacekeepers were wounded, adding that it was a violation of international humanitarian law. Peacekeepers must be protected by all parties of the conflict, he said.
Prior to the meeting, the Secretary-General also held bilateral meetings with the President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Thongloun Sisoulith, with the Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Sonexay Siphandone, and with the Prime Minister of Viet Nam, Pham Minh Chinh.
Throughout his stay, the Secretary-General held informal discussions with many of the other leaders attending the summit.
Before leaving the country, the Secretary-General met with the United Nations country team. He thanked them for their dedication in supporting the people of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. On the premises of UN House in Vientiane, the Secretary-General enjoyed some coffee prepared by the Van Mai cooperative. The cooperative, supported by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), brings together former opium farmers who now grow award-winning coffee beans for export.
He also visited an art exhibit made from unexploded ordinance, sponsored by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The agency is the lead UN organization providing support to the Government in the clearance of unexploded ordnance.