Vientiane, 30 May 2025: ERIA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) of Lao PDR and supported by the Aus4ASEAN Futures Initiative, successfully conducted a capacity-building workshop on 30 May 2025. The event aimed to strengthen Lao PDR’s technical capacity and preparedness for negotiations under the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) – the region’s first comprehensive digital pact set to deepen ASEAN’s digital integration.

In his opening remarks, Mr Khemdeth Sihavong, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiation and Economic Cooperation at MOIC, reaffirmed Lao PDR’s commitment to digital transformation through its 10-Year National Digital Economy Strategy (2021–2030) and 5-Year National Digital Economic Development Plan (2021–2025). Mr Cameron Allan, Second Secretary (Economic, Trade, and Infrastructure) at the Australian Embassy in Lao PDR, expressed Australia’s continued support for ASEAN’s digital advancement through the Aus4ASEAN Futures Initiative.

The workshop addressed key opportunities and challenges in Lao PDR’s digital integration journey, with a focus on legal, regulatory, and institutional readiness in core DEFA areas such as electronic transactions, non-discriminatory treatment of digital products, online safety and cybersecurity, and cooperation on emerging technologies. Participants included officials from MOIC and other relevant government agencies, including the Ministry of Technology and Communications and the Bank of the Lao PDR.

As a knowledge partner to the DEFA negotiations, ERIA continues to provide policy and technical support to the DEFA Negotiating Committee. Official negotiations began at the 23rd ASEAN Economic Council Meeting in September 2023, with substantial conclusion targeted by the end of 2025 – one of Malaysia’s Priority Economic Deliverables during its ASEAN Chairmanship.