Engaging Laos: Strategic Part of the ASEAN Puzzle

In July 2010, Lao deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs Thongloun Sisoulith paid an official visit to Washington. He was and remains the highest-ranking Lao official to visit Washington since the communist takeover in 1975. During his visit he invited Secretary of State Hillary Clint...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2011
Main Author: Hiebert, Murray
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Foreign policy
National security
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:In July 2010, Lao deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs Thongloun Sisoulith paid an official visit to Washington. He was and remains the highest-ranking Lao official to visit Washington since the communist takeover in 1975. During his visit he invited Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to reciprocate with a stop in Vientiane. In the lead-up to Clinton's July trip to Southeast Asia for the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), rumors circulated that she would stop in Laos, but such a visit did not materialize. Still, Lao officials remain hopeful that they will receive a visit from the secretary this year. While 2011 may be difficult to schedule, it would behoove Secretary Clinton to make time for a trip to Laos in the near future.