Australian Ambassador Megan Jones meets with the Minister of Finance, Mr Santiphab Phomvihane, to reaffirm Australia’s strong partnership with Laos on economic reform, trade and investment. Australia is supporting Laos’ Public Financial Management reform programme through the World Bank, helping strengthen budget systems, improve revenue collection, and enhance transparency. Australia is also supporting the 2025 Lao Population and Housing Census. --Photo Australia in Laos

A ceremony takes place at the Russian Centre for Science and Culture on Monday to bid farewell to students travelling to Russia under the auspices of the Government of the Russian Federation. The event was attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Laos, Vladimir Kalinin, and Laos’ Deputy Minister of Education and Sports Mr Kingmano Phommahaxay. The Russian government provides 100 university places for Lao nationals each year. This year, subjects such as economics, management, international relations, agriculture, jurisprudence and law were especially popular among applicants. The Russian Centre for Science and Culture Training welcomes future applicants, with training provided free of charge.

The Managing Director of Lao Airlines State Enterprise, Mr Viengxay Singkham, and his officials on Monday present a symbolic key to a C909 aircraft to Minister of Public Works and Transport, Mr Leklay Sivilay. The ceremony took place at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane upon the arrival of the latest addition to Lao Airlines’ fleet. The 89-seat plane is the second of its kind to be acquired by Lao Airlines. The plane will be put into service immediately, flying to Huaphan province, Bangkok, and other nearby international and domestic destinations.

A Lao delegation attends a workshop titled “Advancing Innovation and Sustainability Research” held from August 27-29 at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, organised by Chula Unisearch, the College of Population Studies, and CU Collar (Labour Research and Coordination Research Unit at Chulalongkorn University). Funded by the British Academy and in collaboration with Edinburgh Napier University, the workshop aimed to strengthen the academic capacity of early-career researchers in Southeast Asia, foster cross-institutional collaboration, and promote high-quality research with sustainable social impact.