Philip Malone, the outgoing British Ambassador gave a wonderful insight into life here from a diplomatic perspective. He was the first British Ambassador after the Embassy closed many decades previously and this gave him a unique perspective into diplomatic life here.
These are his notes from the evening.
HMA
PRESENTATION TO RSA MEETING, 21 MAY 2015: LAOS FROM A DIPLOMATIC PERSPECTIVE
Good evening everyone. A pleasure to be here. My thanks to the RSA Fellows in Laos for giving me this opportunity.
Good evening everyone. A pleasure to be here. My thanks to the RSA Fellows in Laos for giving me this opportunity.
Would like to give some personal reflections both on
my time here as Ambassador and on Laos as a country. I see this as an “in
conversation” style event so please bear in mind I am not making public
statements of policy just a view based on my experiences.
Like all stories, I’ll have a beginning, a middle
bit and an end and will weave some themes through each of these as I go along.
Happy of course to continue the conversation at the end.
Beginnings:
My
arrival, personal story (Helsinki to Vientiane in four months), Foreign
Secretary’s speech on UK in Asia in April 2012 and announcement of the
re-opening of the British Embassy in Vientiane.
Where
things were then.
UK
priorities, Asia Europe Meeting, Foreign Secretary visit.
Embassy
estate, history of relations.
Practical
set-up, developing our engagement, areas of focus.
Challenges,
pleasant surprises, public diplomacy.
Middles:
Laos
internal politics:
Party Congress, shifting of leadership, transition, 1995 compared to now.
Economy: impressive growth but challenges of
sustainability, lack of diversification, non-inclusive growth, fiscal issues,
capacity/skills.
Low score
in global rankings.
Pillars of
economic growth: hydro-power, organic agriculture, services especially tourism.
Infrastructure/connectivity,
economic corridors, land-locked to land-linked.
IMF: high
growth concerns: pressure on balance of payments and reserves, slowdown in
mining and govt spending, energy prospects good – Hongsa on stream and hydro,
concerns over longer-term impact of fiscal shortages and non-concessionary
debt, credit growth concerns and non-performing loans but getting better, more
flexibility needed in exchange rate (though cross-border informal trading has a
stabilising effect)
WTO/AEC
readiness.
International: Laos in the region, ASEAN, China
influence: $5m investment in 2005, $5 billion now.
Engagement
by others.
UK
co-operation, British business interests, business environment, policy
dialogue, education, Chevening/universities, people/people, co-operation in
anti-money laundering, climate change, ASEAN , child protection, human rights,
UXO clearance, Lao Embassy London, bilateral visits.
Ends:
Laos in
future (prosperity, security/regional dynamics, English, development).
Leadership,
young people (demographic dividend).
Prospects
for change.
ASEAN 2016
LDC
graduation (GDP per capita almost met, but Human Asset Index and Economic Vulnerability
Index not met due to off-track MDGs in health and education, high proportion of
agriculture in GDP, narrow and vulnerable export base, remoteness/connectivity,
UXO).
5 year
planning
Middle Income
Country status and vision 2030
UK/Lao
relations and UK in Asia.
It was delightful to have this opportunity to hear Philip speak and we all wish him well as he moves onwards to his new role.
