Laos Appoints Veteran Diplomat Saleumxay Kommasith as New Prime Minister
Saleumxay Kommasith, who has extensive experience in international relations and speaks English, Russian, and French, was elected in a unanimous vote.
Laos has appointed veteran diplomat Saleumxay Kommasith as its new prime minister, the country's National Assembly announced Tuesday. Kommasith, who turns 58 on October 31, was elected in a unanimous vote of 158 lawmakers present in the capital, Vientiane, according to state news agency KPL.
Kommasith, a member of the Politburo of the ruling Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, previously served as deputy prime minister and foreign minister. He succeeds Sonexay Siphandone, who has been elected president of the National Assembly.
His career includes studies at Moscow State Institute of International Relations in Russia and Monash University in Australia. He has held various foreign ministry posts focusing on relations with Australia, the United States, the Americas, and Europe, and also served in the Lao Mission to the United Nations in New York. Kommasith is fluent in English, Russian, and French.
His international background is notable for a leader in Laos, a landlocked and impoverished nation whose leadership typically has limited international engagement beyond relations with communist neighbors Vietnam and China. Historically, Laos played a significant role during the Vietnam War, enduring heavy bombing from the U.S. Air Force. The communist Pathet Lao took power in 1975.
Following his election, Kommasith stated that his government would prioritize food production, infrastructure recovery, mineral management, major investment projects, tourism, revenue collection, and monetary stability. A 2026 country report by Germany’s Bertelsmann Stiftung highlighted Laos's weak economy, citing challenges such as overborrowing, debt obligations, a lack of reserves, and currency depreciation, while noting the one-party state shows no inclination toward multiparty reform.
Laos maintains close ties with Vietnam and increasing influence from China. As a landlocked country, its trade and investment heavily rely on neighbors including Thailand. Electricity produced by hydropower dams is a leading export for Laos.