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 Germany |  Laos |
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Germany–Laos relations have existed on the bilateral level since the late 1950s.[1]
TheFederal Republic of Germany established diplomatic relations with Laos on January 31, 1958, andEast Germany on May 27, 1974.[2] In 1975, both the Federal Republic and the GDR opened embassies inVientiane, thecapital of Laos. AfterGerman reunification, the German-Laotian Society was founded in 1998.[3]
German ChancellorAngela Merkel met withLaos Prime MinisterThongloun Sisolith at theAsia-Europe Meeting summit inUlaanbaatar on July 14, 2016. The two leaders held another meeting inBerlin on March 13, 2019.[3]
Both countries concluded a bilateral investment agreement in 1999. In 2020, the bilateral trade volume was 154.7 million Euro, making Germany the second-largest trading partner for Laos within theEuropean Union.[1][3]
Germany has provideddevelopment aid to Laos since the 1960s.[3] By 2022, aid payments were over 500 million Euro.[1]
Almost 3000 Laotians have studied in the former GDR and today theGerman Academic Exchange Service awards scholarships to Laotian students. In higher education, there are various partnerships between German and Lao institutions. At theNational University of Laos,German has been a separate subject since 2003.[1]
Germany has assisted Laos with cultural preservation. In 2015–2018, buildings in the old town ofLuang Prabang were restored with funding from theGerman Foreign Office.[1]
