Rapid trade and environment assessment (RTEA)

Lao PDR is characterized by an abundance of natural resources and a small population of 5.6 million, the vast majority of whom live in rural areas and are dependent on subsistence agriculture. To a great extent, the strategy for reforming the economy is being situated in the context of Lao PDR’s commitments under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Free Trade Area and the process of accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as increasing bilateral relations and transportation links with neighbouring countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)