31st July 2019
Vientiane, Laos
On 28 July 2019, UK Ambassador to Laos Hugh Evans received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the University of Nottingham for his dedication to and successes in the education sector in Lao PDR. He accepted his degree at the University of Nottingham’s Malaysia campus, with the following speech. ‘Prof. Graham Kendall, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University […]
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31st July 2019
Vientiane, Laos
The Queen’s Birthday Party or Women United Festival took place on the 5 June 2019 at the Crowne Plaza, Vientiane. This is the full speech delivered by His Excellency Hugh Evans, UK Ambassador to Lao PDR, to open the night. Our Chief Guests: Your Excellencies, Madame Sengdeuane Lachantaboun, Minister of Education and Sports and HE. […]
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27th December 2018
Vientiane, Laos
Guest blog by Martin Couch, Acting Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Laos: A surprise visit to Nongdeng village in Xamnue district, Huaphan province (remote northern Laos) Thank you Ambassador Hugh Evans for letting me post a blog about my short time here in Laos. As someone who works in the Foreign and […]
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14th November 2018
Vientiane, Laos
Fellow Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth Ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps, proud veterans, ladies and gentleman. A warm welcome to the third Commonwealth Remembrance Ceremony in Laos which I am honoured to host at my Residence, to be followed by our traditional Indian curry meal on such an occasion. This really is a great Commonwealth tradition! […]
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29th June 2018
Vientiane, Laos
Our annual Queen’s Birthday Party (QBP), held in mid-June, broadly coincides with the anniversary of my arrival in Laos So, it always puts me in a retrospective mood, especially as I contemplate my final year in Vientiane. But though my small and still relatively new Mission has had its best year ever in terms of […]
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15th February 2018
Vientiane, Laos
World Pangolin Day takes place on 17 February. The plight of these magnificent small scaly anteaters is often dwarfed by the illegal trafficking of ivory, rhino horn and wild cats, but their existence is in danger.
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21st December 2017
Vientiane, Laos
During China’s Cultural Revolution, Mao Zedong famously proclaimed that women “hold up half the sky.” It was an unequivocal assertion of women’s equal rights and responsibilities in society. Half a century on, however, achieving gender parity unfortunately remains unfinished business across the world. Still, the dramatic events of 2017 suggest the empowerment agenda is gaining […]
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20th June 2017
Vientiane, Laos
Former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson once called “a week a long time in politics”. He could have said the same about diplomacy. And a year seems like a lifetime of experiences. Or at least that’s how it feels as I complete my second fascinating year as Ambassador to the Lao PDR. With the Embassy […]
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9th February 2017
Vientiane, Laos
I was recently delighted to host my first Burns Supper in Vientiane. It was a wonderful evening of poetry, food and dance for which the organizational credit must go to Scottish community stalwart, Clare Hepburn, ably supported by her husband Alistair and others. As someone who grew up in the southern Scottish town of Dumfries. […]
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20th December 2016
Vientiane, Laos
Britain’s most famous constitutionalist, Walter Bagehot, once described Parliament as “nothing less than a big meeting of more or less idle people.” His wry comment may have contained a grain of truth about the aristocrats who dominated Britain’s 19thC chamber. But it wouldn’t be a fair depiction of today’s National Assembly (NA) in Laos. Its […]
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