The Bank of the Lao reported that its governor received a courtesy visit from Australia’s ambassador to Laos, with talks focused on bilateral cooperation in the banking sector. The main practical point was technical assistance for the Bank of the Lao from the Australian Treasury and the Reserve Bank of Australia under the Southeast Asia Government-to-Government Partnerships framework, linked to Laos’s five-year financial institutions and monetary system development plan for 2026 to 2030. Discussions also covered broader cooperation between the Bank of the Lao and Australia in priority areas for the financial and banking sector under that plan. The release states that the Australian government expressed willingness to support the Bank of the Lao in implementing the 2026 to 2030 development plan.