Mekong - U.S. Partnership
The U.S. Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Institute for International Affairs concluded the fourth of six planned seminars aimed at improving the English skills of Lao officials working on health, environment, and infrastructure issues. Deputy Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Embassy to the Lao P.D.R. Kenneth Kosakowski and Deputy Director General of the Institute of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Siviengphet Phetvorasack were on hand to congratulate the graduates of the 4th seminar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Institute of Foreign Affairs in Vientiane.
Lao officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education and Sports, and the Ministry of Home Affairs participated in the fourth seminar, which was focused on education reform. During the seminar, the participants learned important skills such as how to write a press release and project abstract, role-played round table discussions and problem solving, recorded a video, and created and presented a PowerPoint presentation based on their current professional projects
“Your participation in this program shows your country's dedication to cooperating with its neighbors to develop a common language for addressing shared challenges. It also shows your dedication as individuals to assisting your country to exercise its full role as an LMI and ASEAN member in determining the direction of this region,” Mr. Kosakowski said in his remarks to the graduates of the program.
All of the ESP seminars have been led by Mr. Christopher McFarland, an English Language Fellow working for the U.S. State Department in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane, in along with two co-teachers from the Institute for Foreign Affairs. The ESP program grew out of the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI), an effort by the U.S. government to increase regional cooperation among the Lower Mekong nations in the areas of education, energy, environment, agriculture and food security, health, as well as connectivity.
The next ESP seminar on the topic of energy security will begin on February 12.
Source: U.S. Embassy Vientiane, Laos
Source URL: http://laos.usembassy.gov/pres_jan162014pres.html
