Vientiane - XINHUA
U.S. Second lady Jill Biden, wife of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was set to conclude the first visit by a contemporary representative of the White House to the South-East Asian nation of Laos Wednesday.
Biden was welcomed by Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Phankham Viphavan in the capital to discuss the country' s ongoing progress in the development of education and gender issues including a 27-million-U.S. dollar U.S. sponsored school meals program and related educational support programs Wednesday morning.
Biden was joined by U.S. Ambassador-at-large for Global Women's Issues Catherine Russell and Ambassador of the U.S. to Laos Daniel Clune.
The meeting followed Tuesday's visit to NGO Lao Disabled Women' s Development Center where a grant for 230,000 U.S. dollars was presented to help expand employment opportunities and help provide its all-female graduate trainees greater personal and economic autonomy.
Biden was set to visit a World Vision educational project and cultural preservation works in Luang Prabang, the country's World- Heritage-Listed ancient capital Wednesday afternoon.