Vientiane, Lao PDR
31 October 2012

Days before President Benigno S. Aquino III arrives in Lao People’s Democratic Republic to participate in the 9th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 9), Philippine Embassy officials and staff led by Ambassador Maria Lumen Isleta and the advance party from the Office of the President conducted an ocular inspection of all the venues that the Chief Executive will be heading to as part of the country’s preparations in the ASEM 9.

The Philippine delegation first went to the National Convention Center (NCC) which is the main venue of the event and checked on the leaders’ meeting venues, the President’s possible bilateral meeting rooms and the country’s secretariat booth. Together with their Lao counterparts, the party ensured that everything is in place before the President arrives on 4 November 2012.

The newly built NCC blends traditional Lao architecture with state-of-the-art conference facilities to accommodate all the needs for the ASEM 9. Strategically located in Vientiane, it will be the largest and most technologically advanced MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) facility ever built in Laos.

From NCC, the advance party headed to Don Chan Villa where President Aquino will be accommodated throughout his stay in Laos. The 50 ASEM villas on the 8.1-hectare site in Don Chan Island were especially built to house the Heads of State and Government attending the ASEM 9.

An ocular inspection of the VVIP Centre at Wattay International Airport was also conducted by the Philippine party. This latest development of a one-storey building is a generous gift to the Lao people from the Government of Japan to the tune of US$3 million. It was especially designed for the reception of VVIP delegates attending the ASEM 9 meetings. The construction and development of the VVIP Centre is being supervised by the Lao PDR Ministry of Public Works and Transport.

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