Laos has made considerable progress in its efforts to develop connectivity and trade facilitation, a senior government official told the meeting of Asian-European Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) in Vientiane.

Melting polar ice could create a new shipping lane through the North Pole by 2050, according to research by the University Of California at Los Angeles. In the future, melting sea ice could mean that ordinary shipping vessels will be able to navigate parts of the Arctic Ocean which were previously inaccessible, without the use of icebreakers to clear their route.

One of the most important challenges facing the government today is ensuring that Taiwan is not left on the sidelines as the Asia-Pacific region moves toward greater economic integration. This goal can only be achieved by further strengthening ties with major trading partners and hammering out state-of-the-art economic and investment pacts.