Vientiane, 22 February 2024: An ERIA delegation paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Energy and Mines of Lao PDR Phoxay Sayasone and Permanent Secretary Khamso Kouphokham. 

The ERIA delegation discussed the ongoing collaboration between ERIA and the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM). ERIA and MEM will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in March to support MEM both for its priorities under the ASEAN Economic Community Pillar of the Lao Chairmanship of ASEAN, and longer-term projects including joint research on energy statistics, electric vehicles and the development of renewable energy. For the 2024 Lao PDR Chairmanship of ASEAN, ERIA is supporting the development of an energy white paper entitled ‘Energy Security Policy Directions for Inclusive and Sustainable Development Lao PDR and the Implication for ASEAN’.

Joining the courtesy visit from ERIA were Mr Naoto Okura from ERIA President’s Office; Dr Han Phoumin, Senior Energy Economist; Jeremy Gross, Director of Capacity Building; Dr Joko Purwanto, Energy Economist; and Kei Sudo, Senior Policy Advisor.

Minister Phoxay Sayasone expressed his deep appreciation for ERIA's support in developing Lao PDR energy statistics and expressed his wish to continue collaboration with ERIA.