Officials hope that protocol training and the creation of a perfect manual on the matter will help develop better skill preparedness among civil servants while upholding their responsibilities at official government events.
Director General of the Protocol Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr Prasith Xayasith made the comments in his interview with Vientiane Times at a training course held yesterday, aiming to improve the skills of civil servants at the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.
“It will be good if protocol training for civil servants is broadened so they will have the requisite skills and readiness to implement their responsibilities at any government event which is organised,” Mr Prasith said.
He told the participants he has observed that some ministries and government agencies performed well regarding protocol matters when organising various ceremonies, while many of them stressed too much in relation to protocol, out of proportion with the level and needs of certain events.
However he reminded participants about the optimal success of protocol activities during the Ninth Asia-Europe Summit Meeting held in Vientiane last year. Mr Prasith said the government made all efforts in preparation under the guidance of high-level leaders, consulting and rehearsing as necessary to ensure the ultimate success of the summit.
The protocol training course was organised by the Department of International Cooperation under the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. It was the first ever training course for civil servants in Laos, aiming to provide essential knowledge about protocol and etiquette.
While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of Protocol has already used its prior experiences to create a manual on the matter, the hand book has yet to be perfected and could use further improvement.
“It is a good initiative taken by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, so we, the Protocol Department, will also collect ideas to help perfect this book,” Mr Prasith said.
He added that his department plans to meet with related officials from other ministries and government agencies to discuss the matter, which he said will lead to the perfection of the handbook before training course sare continued at other ministries and agencies.
In his remarks at the opening ceremony of the training course, Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Mr Savankhone Razmountry reminded the participants on the importance of protocol work in the context of globalisation and international integration.
He praised the ministry’s Department of International Cooperation, which actively organised the training course, in order to ensure civil servants have a correct understanding of protocol so they can use the knowledge at future ceremonies and events.
The opening ceremony of the training course was also attended by the Director General of the International Cooperation Department Mr Bounleuan Boupha.
Source: Vientiane Times
June 10, 2013
