Rwanda, Lao People’s Democratic Republic seek to strengthen ties

In Vientiane, the capital of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Rwandan Ambassador Emma Francoise Isumbingabo there on Tuesday presented her letters of credence to President Bounnhang Vorachith.

Thursday, September 29, 2016
Ambassador Isumbingabo presenting her credentials in Laos on Tuesday. / Courtesy photo

In Vientiane, the capital of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Rwandan Ambassador Emma Francoise Isumbingabo there on Tuesday presented her letters of credence to President Bounnhang Vorachith.

The ceremony took place in the presidential palace, known as Ho Kham, according to a statement from the Rwandan embassy in South Korea.

"During the ceremony, President Bounnhang expressed a strong wish for the Rwandan envoy, to actively contribute to an improved bilateral cooperation between Rwanda and Laos during this new area of diplomatic relations,” reads the statement.

With residence in Seoul, Republic of Korea, Isumbingabo is also accredited to both Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Laos is a country located in the south-east Asia, and is known for its mountainous terrain with French colonial architecture. The country is made by hill tribe settlements and a lot of Buddhist temples and monasteries.

Lao People’s Democratic Republic has a population of 6.8 million with a GDP of US$12.33 billion, making a GDP per capita of almost US$2,000, with an economical growth of 7 percent.

Addressing the president, Isumbingabo expressed gratitude for the significant occasion, to strengthen the linkages between the Lao people and the people of Rwanda, and assured the President that Rwanda will continue promoting exchanges between our two countries and further cultivate the diplomatic relations that already exist between the two countries since 2009.

The presentation of the credentials coincided with a three-day official visit to Laos by Isumbingabo in the company of Claude Ganza Kanyanduga, the First Counselor at the Rwandan embassy.

During the visit, the two diplomats paid courtesy calls to several government dignitaries in Laos, including the vice minister of foreign affairs, Khamphao Ernthavanh.

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