Future Dialogue with the Lao PDR

Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung (RLS) works towards international solidarity. Our office in Hanoi is in a unique position to facilitate dialogue between the communist parties of the Mekong region and Die Linke. Such party exchanges provide a great opportunity to engage in fruitful discussion and strengthen bilaterial relations. Thus, RLS and its partner, the International Cooperation and Project Management Secretariat, are organizing a 'future dialogue' between Die Linke and the National Assembly of the Lao PDR as well as the Lao Revolutionary People’s Party.

The first exchange spanned from 2015 to 2016. Laos had just revised its constitution and formally established Provincial People's Assemblies. Accordingly, the exchange focused on the study of parliamentary systems. Dialogue with representatives at the federal and state levels provided both sides with critical insights into improving parliamentary mandates, roles and procedures. Further, the participants discussed ways of supporting individual parliamentarians and visions for the institutions long-term development.

The dialogue resumed in December 2022, when a delegation from Laos led by Mr. Sanya Praseuth, Member of Parliament and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, visited Germany. They were welcomed at the Bundestag, the German parliament, by its Vice President Petra Pau. After traveling to the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Lao delegation met Tobias Bank, General Secretary of Die Linke, and Simone Oldenburg, the state’s Deputy Minister President. They discussed bilateral relations, political education, sustainability and federalism. Two years later, in 2024, Mr. Praseuth led a group of Laos’ National Assembly Members on another exchange visit. In Berlin, the delegation toured the headquarters of Die Linke and the German Federal Foreign Office. The dialogue continued in Magdeburg, the provincial capital of Sachsen-Anhalt, after the group had the opportunity to observe a lively State Assembly session.

In 2023, which marks the 65th anniversary of German-Laotian relations, Die Linke, in turn, sent a delegation to Laos. The group was led by Wulf Gallert, Co-Chair of the party’s International Commission. In Vientiane, the capital of Laos, the delegation was received by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly and the Central Committee for External Relations of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party. They held exchange sessions on the issues of climate change, social and welfare politics, international relations and Laos’ plan for its upcoming chairmanship of ASEAN. The delegation also visited the city of Luang Prabang and the Thanaleng Dry Port, which is bound to play a crucial role in connecting Laos within Asia and to Europe.

Participants reported that the party exchange allows for constructive dialogue and greatly enhances mutual understanding. Although the respective political landscapes vary, both sides are able to find common ground and discern shared challenges. The dialogue thus paves the way for future collaboration and strengthens the solidarity between Germany and Laos.

If you are interested in a concrete example of successful cooperation between a German province and the Mekong region, check out our social media post on The Thuringia Example.