20th June 2017 Vientiane, Laos
Laos – an “inspirational” journey
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 having recently launched an #InspireMe campaign, asking people to share their thoughts on what has inspired them about the UK, it seems appropriate that I should reflect on what has caught my imagination.
It’s undoubtedly been a momentous year for my country. Last June the British people voted to leave the European Union. This June, following a snap election, we have a government with a fresh mandate to conduct the Brexit negotiations, which begin on 19 June. No-one pretends the talks will be easy. But the principles governing our position are clear. We are leaving the EU and not Europe. And, as Prime Minister Theresa May has made clear, we want to retain a “deep and special partnership” with the EU.
Recent events have also highlighted that the UK is a global nation with global interests and global connections. Well before the referendum, the UK had been stepping up its engagement with the fast growing ASEAN region. Reopening our Embassy in Laos in 2012 was a key part of that reorientation. It signaled – as Sir Simon McDonald, the Head of the Diplomatic Service, put it when he opened the new Embassy building in early 2016 – that the “Brits are back.”
And we were back with a strategy – the Creative Partnership (CP) – designed to revive the UK profile here after an absence of almost 30 years, while recognising that we are a small Embassy. I’m certainly inspired by the progress we’ve made against our niche priorities in the last year.
Take our political relationship. The tempo of bilateral visits has increased: our former Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy Lord David Puttnam made his sixth visit to Vientiane last Autumn; the Lao Minister of Education and Sports, Madame Sengduane Lachantaboun, attended the World Education Forum in London in January; and the Mayor of Vientiane, Dr Sinlavong Khoutpaythoune, made an unprecedented visit to the UK in April, taking with him a large business delegation.
We also look forward to hosting a second round of our formal Political Dialogue later this year (the Lao government hosted the inaugural round in 2015). Our governments may not agree on everything. But we are increasingly aware that we do have much in common.
Starting with a commitment to education. “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow” is the title of one of my favourite Fleetwood Mac songs. To my mind, it also encapsulates the primary purpose of education, especially in Laos with its youthful population and pressing need to create a modern skilled workforce.
As Laos integrates into ASEAN, such a workforce will increasingly need English, ASEAN’s official language, as the government acknowledges. Over the last year, inspired by the dedication of Madame Sengduane and her Ministry of Education and Sports colleagues, the British Council has delivered two consultancies; one to propose a strategic framework for English language training; the other to propose ways to upgrade teaching capabilities across the public service. We now seek long term collaboration with the Ministry to implement these recommendations. It’s an exciting prospect.
So, too, is bringing UK learning and standards to Laos. An inspiring example is Panyathip School, modelled on British educational values and growing rapidly. In higher education, two UK universities already cooperate with the National University of Laos. And I recently persuaded another to send a team to explore the Lao market. If I have my way, it won’t be too long before a British university offers its own courses here.
But our educational agenda isn’t just about importing British expertise. It’s also about opening up the UK to Lao students. A recent survey of young people in four Lao cities found that a majority of those seeking an English language education now identified the UK as their destination of choice. And the numbers who go are increasing, albeit from a low base.
To give the process a boost, we’ll be sending 12 superb Chevening Scholars to the UK this year, four times the number in 2012. One fun fact is that one of out seven heads of state or government in the world today has been educated in Britain. The list doesn’t yet include Laos. But we never “stop thinking about tomorrow”.
We’re also “thinking about tomorrow” when we consider our commercial ties. When I arrived in 2015, then President Choummaly Sayasone told me the UK was the 15th largest investor in Laos. He wanted us to be in the top 10. I was thrilled, therefore, when the Ministry of Investment and Planning told me in May that the UK was now 10th.
Much of the credit belongs to the British Business Group (BBG). Formed in November 2015, the BBG already has 80 members and – as it moves to acquiring a formal legal status – is anxious to expand further. The membership is a diverse and, yes, inspirational group, ranging from large companies, such as Prudential, RMA, Whessoe and Unilever, to SMEs covering a host of sectors.
Inspirational too has been the BBG leadership under Paul Simcock which has skilfully steered the organisation’s nascent development. Paul also plays a central role in the European Chamber of Commerce in Laos and I was delighted to hear that three UK nationals (including Paul) were recently elected to its Executive Board. No less inspirational has been our increasing ties with the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry whose President, Mr Oudet Souvannavong, led the first Lao business delegation to the UK last October.
As I begin my third year here, I know there’s so much more we need to do to raise the British profile here. But my optimism about the future is underpinned by a slew of inspiring memories. Such as seeing the Prime Minister, Mr Thongloun Sisoulith, underscore his personal commitment to improved economic governance when he chaired the 10th Lao Business Forum in March. Or seeing one of our Chevening Scholars set up an office for the Westminster Foundation for Democracy in the National Assembly in late 2016, the first in a communist country. Or another Chevening Scholar who is championing the cause of LGBT rights in Laos.
Why don’t you tell me what has inspired you this past year?