On 19-20 November 2025, H.E. Mr. Chetthaphan Maksamphan, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led the Thai delegation to the 14th High-Level Round Table Meeting (HL-RTM) held in Vientiane Capital. The Meeting was opened by Mr. Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister of Lao PDR, and attended by more than 500 participants, including ministers, members of the National Assembly, the diplomatic corps, development partners, international organisations and civil society.

Convened every five years, the HL-RTM serves as a key platform for discussing Lao PDR’s national development priorities. This year’s Meeting focused on gathering inputs from various sectors to finalise the 10th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2026–2030) and to prepare Lao PDR for its planned graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2026.

On this occasion, the Deputy Permanent Secretary delivered a statement reaffirming Thailand’s support for the Third Vientiane Declaration and readiness to work together to advance sustainable, concrete, and people-centred development outcomes.

The Deputy Permanent Secretary also paid a courtesy call on H.E. Thongloun Sisoulith, President of Lao PDR, together with heads of delegations from the United Nations, international financial institutions, and development partner countries, to commend the successful convening of the 14th HL-RTM and to receive the President’s guidance on the future direction of development cooperation with Lao PDR.