Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Princess Aiko Arrives in Laos for First Official Overseas Visit

The visit underscores Japan’s long-running aid to Laos at the 70-year milestone in relations.

Overview

  • Princess Aiko landed in Vientiane on Nov. 17 after a layover in Thailand and was greeted with a traditional welcome at her hotel.
  • She is set to pay a courtesy call on President Thongloun Sisoulith today, followed by a state banquet hosted by Vice President Pany Yathotou.
  • Her schedule includes stops at Vientiane’s Patuxai monument, the COPE Visitor Center for UXO awareness, a Japanese-language school, and a children’s hospital built with Japanese aid.
  • A rail day trip to Luang Prabang is planned to visit the national museum and Wat Xieng Thong.
  • Before departing Haneda on a commercial flight, the princess said she would do her best, with reports noting Japan provided over US$370 million in grants to Laos from 2019 to 2024.