Mrs Phongsamouth Anlavan and Ambassador Koizumi Tsutomu shake hands after signing an agreement on a Japanese grant.

Japan pledges 140 billion kip for natural disaster recovery

​The lives of communities struggling with transport disruptions along vital arteries like Route 8 are set to improve following the provision of a Japanese grant worth over ¥1 billion (about 140.16 billion kip).
​Representatives of the Lao and Japanese governments on Friday signed an Exchange of Notes on the Japanese government’s Economic and Social Development Programme, which is aimed at helping to mitigate the damage caused by severe weather events in Laos.
​The funds will be used to supply heavy machinery needed for the repair and improvement of bridges and roads, with a special focus on Route 8, which has been severely affected by flooding in recent years, especially this year when floods hampered trade and travel for thousands of people in provinces like Bolikhamxay and Khammuan.
​The Exchange of Notes on grant aid was signed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the ministry’s Deputy Minister, Mrs Phongsamouth Anlavan on behalf of the Lao government, and the Ambassador of Japan to Laos, Mr Koizumi Tsutomu, representing the Japanese government.
​The assistance comes as the two nations celebrate the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations and the 60th anniversary of the first deployment of Japanese volunteers to Laos.
​Restoring vital transport infrastructure is crucial for supporting Laos’ ambition to strengthen regional and sub-regional connectivity.
​Mrs Phongsamouth said Laos has suffered from numerous floods and storms, causing severe damage to infrastructure, disrupting transport, making conditions difficult for citizens, and hampering the country’s development.
​She expressed sincere gratitude to the government and people of Japan for their invaluable and continuing assistance, noting that the grant builds on Japan’s consistent support for disaster resilience through previous aid programmes. ​
The new grant will help to improve the capacity of the transport, communication and tourism sectors, improve the lives of Lao citizens, and bolster the public works and transport sector in affected regions.
​Ambassador Koizumi said he highly valued the close relations between Laos and Japan and that support for natural disaster mitigation is a priority of the Japanese government’s cooperation with Laos.
The aid supports implementation of the latter stage of the Lao government’s 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan, he added.
​Ambassador Koizumi pledged continued close cooperation with Laos to further foster the longstanding friendship and partnership between the two countries, particularly as Comprehensive Strategic Partners, for the mutual benefit of the peoples of both nations.
Japan has significantly strengthened Laos’ efforts to improve infrastructure and disaster resilience through substantial grants.
This includes the provision of heavy machinery worth US$11.3 million to repair bridges damaged by floods and landslides, and a grant of Japanese yen 1.5 billion, which provided high-tech equipment for general road and bridge maintenance.
To strengthen future preparedness, Japan also granted approximately US$4.3 million to modernise Laos’ geospatial infrastructure, enabling the creation of accurate hazard and topographic maps essential for effective disaster prevention and land management.

By Souksamai Boulom
(Latest Update December 15, 2025)