Relationship dossier
Laos
Sweden
Relationship assessment
Development cooperation has been the principal known feature of Laos–Sweden relations.
Laos toward Sweden
+15Laos has participated in bilateral development cooperation with Sweden, including programs supporting poverty reduction and public-sector capacity. The scope of Laos’s other government initiatives toward Sweden is less clear.
Sweden toward Laos
+15Sweden has provided development assistance to Laos, supporting areas including poverty reduction, education and public administration. The scale and priorities of this cooperation have evolved over time.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship is characterized chiefly by Swedish development cooperation in Laos, rather than a known close strategic alignment. Assistance in social and governance-related fields provides a durable basis for practical cooperation, while the broader range and current intensity of bilateral engagement are less clear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Laos and Sweden maintain diplomatic relations and have had Swedish development cooperation in Laos, including support for poverty reduction, education and public administration. This aid partnership is a concrete, sustained element of the relationship, though its scale and policy priorities have changed over time. The relationship is cooperative but not known as a particularly close or broad strategic partnership.
Key developments
Sweden provided development cooperation to Laos, including support for poverty reduction, education and public administration.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and implementation of Swedish development cooperation in Laos are unclear.
- The extent of other bilateral cooperation beyond development assistance is uncertain.