Economic relations with Laos are strengthening. Germany is Laos’ principal European trading partner. Laos mainly imports chemical products and machinery and primarily exports textiles, food and footwear.

German development cooperation has been active in Laos since bilateral cooperation began in 1964. Germany is the largest donor country in the EU. Key areas include the protection of our natural resources, sustainable economic development, training and employment, transforming the food system, as well as peace and social cohesion. At the regional level, the Federal Government supports the Mekong River Commission with its headquarters in Vientiane.

Germany has been active in Laos in the field of cultural preservation since 1989. Between 2011 and 2017, Germany funded a project to restore the murals at the Wat Sisaket Temple in Vientiane. The restoration of Buddhist temples, the documentation and digitisation of collections of Buddhist photographs and the recording of traditional Lao music were also supported. Between 2015 and 2018, a palace and its external buildings in the heart of the northern town of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage site, were restored with funding from the Federal Foreign Office and other sources. In 2024 and 2025, Germany will provide financial support to the Museum of Buddhist Art, Luang Prabang cultural preservation project.