LLDC representatives from Asia and Europe convened their three-day final regional review meeting, to review the progress made over the past decade in carrying out the Almaty Programme of Action (APA), which is designed to address the special needs of LLDCs.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alounkeo Kittikhoun said that Laos had incorporated all five APA priority areas into its national development strategy, especially in the area of infrastructure development, trade regulations and transit systems.

"Throughout its implementation, we have made considerable progress," he told the meeting. Regarding infrastructure development, the Lao government adopted and introduced a new policy with the aim of converting the country from being landlocked to a land link."

To realize this transformation, Alounkeo said, "the government has developed several programmes and policies on infrastructure development, especially the development of an efficient and reliable system for transit transport routes and the facilitation of cross-border transport of goods and people."

The deputy minister stressed the importance of bilateral, sub-regional and regional cooperation frameworks in pursuit of the objectives of the APA.

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