Laos: Background and U.S. Relations

Publication Date: October 2005

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

Type:

Coverage: Laos

Abstract:

On November 19, 2004, Congress passed the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-429), which granted nondiscriminatory treatment to the products of Laos after several years of debate. Laos was one of only three countries in the world that did not have normal trade relations (NTR) with the United States. The Lao government's treatment of former CIA-trained Hmong guerillas remains a key problem for U.S. policy toward Laos and point of contention between the two countries.

The United States and Laos cooperate in important areas, including recovering remains of Americans missing in action (MIAs) from the Vietnam War, counter-narcotics and de-mining efforts. Laos successfully hosted the 10th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in November 2004. In 2005, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom removed Laos from its watch list, citing improvements in human rights conditions for religious followers.