On 11 September 2026, Mrs. Chachsaran Lertkiattiwong, Director of International Development Cooperation Division, Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), and Mr. Viraphon Nouansengsy, Deputy Director-General of the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI), co-chaired the Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting for the Joint Research Project on Fish Breeding of Indigenous Species for Conservation Measure under the 3-Year Thai-Lao Development Cooperation Framework (2023–2025) at the Fisheries Research Center in Vientiane,  Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR).

This meeting served as a platform to summarize the project’s progress as well as to gather feedback on issues, obstacles, and recommendations from both participating agencies. It also provided an opportunity for both sides to exchange knowledge and experience gained during the project implementation on Fish Breeding of Indigenous Species for Conservation Measure in Mekong River Region. This project marked a significant step forward for enhancing cooperation in research on rare fish species besides promoting sustainable fisheries development between the two nations.

Following the PSC meeting, Mrs. Chachsaran Lertkiattiwong met with Mr. Bounsong Vongvichith, Head of the Living Aquatic Resources Research Center National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (LaRReC) to exchange views on the operational approach for a new project focused on breeding Mekongina erythrospila Fish. Both sides discussed the Lao side’s project proposal on the breeding of Mekongina erythrospila, an economically important species whose population has declined over the past two to three years. Following by representatives from Champasak Province, the Department of Livestock and Fisheries, the Department of Asia-Pacific and Africa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane, and relevant officials were attended.