Statement following a meeting with President of Lao People's Democratic Republic, Bounnhang Vorachith
Date: Tue 15th Nov, 2016 | 10:35
15 November 2016
“It is a great privilege to visit the wonderful people of Lao, a people who have had so much suffering visited upon them and who are showing such resilience in crafting a new future that will be sustainable.
It is a special privilege as President of Ireland to lead this delegation which is the first Official Visit as an Irish Head of State to Lao People's Democratic Republic.
I wish to thank President Vorachith for his invitation to come to Vientiane, and for the warm welcome extended by him, his ministers and officials to me, my wife Sabina, the Minister for Training, Skills and Innovation John Halligan TD, and to all those travelling with us.
I also had successful bilateral meetings with the Chairperson of the National Assembly Ms. Pany Yathotou and with Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith.
During our meeting I congratulated President Vorachith on his recent election as President and on Laos' very successful ASEAN Chairmanship this year. Ireland is a strong supporter of regional cooperation, addressing regional and global challenges. We, in Ireland, have benefited from our regional cooperation within the European Union and ASEAN's efforts at promoting regional integration are vital and promising developments not only for the region but for the world, emphasising as they do a commitment to responding to climate change and seeking development that is sustainable.
Although our two countries are geographically far apart, we have many things in common as small countries who have been living in the shadow of larger neighbours. The President and I discussed how we can use our resources, our history and our mutual experiences of a long struggle for independence, to share information on our journeys towards economic and social development, in a sustainable and inclusive way, and not just for the current generations but also for those generations who are yet to come.
President Bounnhang Vorachith and I spoke about Ireland's assistance, through the Irish Aid programme, which seeks to assist, in however a small way, the Government's efforts to deal with the legacy of war, the horrendous damage to people's lives, and to the environment.
The world, I suggested, must never forget that Lao PDR is, per person, the most heavily bombed country in history.
Over the 1964-1973 period two million tonnes of ordnance was dropped on the country - the equivalent of one bomb every eight minutes for nine years. An estimated one-third of the cluster bombs that rained on Lao PDR, or 80 million deadly bombs, did not explode on impact and now litter the countryside, still maiming and shattering lives. Each year 230 innocent citizens - farmers tending their fields and children playing - are killed as a result of the decision in the period 1964 to 1973 to rain destruction on this beautiful country.
I supported his call on the international community to respond in an adequate way to this legacy by urgently giving assistance for the creation and delivery of the skills necessary to clear these instruments of death and mutilation, and to undo the environmental destruction that they have caused.
I assured the President of Ireland's continued support for his government's efforts at dealing with this deadly challenge.
I indicated that our co-operation in the areas of nutrition and education would continue and that the results of our meetings would be reflected in the revised Irish Aid strategy for 2017-2021.
In our meeting we also discussed our two countries' collaboration, now needed more than ever, towards the full implementation of the 'Agenda of Hope' that is contained in the two core agreements from 2015: The Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement to combat Climate Change.
I commended the President for the fact that Lao PDR was the first ASEAN country to ratify the Paris Agreement, and for his Government's comprehensive and inclusive response to deforestation. In our discussion, we spoke of the importance of building on the infrastructure of international agreements and treaties to ensure not only effective solutions to shared challenges but also the strengthening of capacity to assist countries in building up the expertise and the legal bases necessary for the effective delivery of shared strategies, in ways that are consistent with local priorities and possibilities.
In the coming days, we will have further opportunities to discuss ways to add momentum to the warm and constructive relationship that exists between our two countries.
With this in mind, I have taken the opportunity to invite President Vorachith to visit Ireland in the future, so that I may receive him and return the warm hospitality that he has provided to our delegation."