A virtual meeting between Amb. Mai Sayavongs, Director General, Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA), Lao PDR and Amb. J.S. Mukul, Dean, SSIFS took place on 07/08/2020. Amb. Dinkar Asthana, Ambassador of India in Vientiane and Amb. Bounneme Chouanghom, Ambassador of Lao PDR in New Delhi also joined the meeting. Dean apprised the delegates that SSIFS has 87 MOU partners, primarily in the developing world (including Lao PDR). He noted that till now SSIFS has trained around 3500 diplomats from 180 countries including 88 diplomats from Lao PDR. He also informed that Laotian diplomats have attended courses like SSIFS’ flagship Professional Course for Foreign Diplomats, annual programmes for Asean/Asem and one Special Course for Diplomats from Lao PDR (2003).
Recalling the SSIFS-IFA bilateral MOU of September 2019, Dean (SSIFS) conveyed that diplomats from Laos are welcome to attend SSIFS training programmes like PCFD, Asean/Asem courses. In addition, he offered that a special course could also be considered. DG expressed the desire to continue the courses at SSIFS after the end of the global pandemic of Covid-19.
Dean invited the DG, IFA, Lao PDR to visit India as leader of the group of Laotian diplomat trainees to SSIFS. DG accepted the invitation in principle. Both sides look forward to future cooperation.
India and the Lao PDR enjoy longstanding, friendly and mutually supportive relations. Lao PDR is a valued development partner of India with focus on capacity building/training, including training of diplomats.
New Delhi
13 August 2020