Clinton on landmark visit to Laos
<p><span word="Download">Download</span></p><p><span word="Hillary">Hillary</span> <span word="Clinton">Clinton</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Wednesday">Wednesday</span> <span word="became">became</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="secretary">secretary</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="state">state</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="visit">visit</span> <span word="Laos">Laos</span> <span word="for">for</span> 57 <span word="years">years</span>, <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="trip">trip</span> <span word="focused">focused</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="damaging">damaging</span> <span word="legacy">legacy</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Vietnam">Vietnam</span> <span word="War">War</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="US">US</span> "<span word="desire">desire</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="deepen">deepen</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="broaden">broaden</span>" <span word="the">the</span> <span word="relationship">relationship</span>, <span word="Clinton">Clinton</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="visit">visit</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="US">US</span>-<span word="funded">funded</span> <span word="prosthetic">prosthetic</span> <span word="center">center</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="described">described</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> "<span word="painful">painful</span> <span word="reminder">reminder</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="legacy">legacy</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Vietnam">Vietnam</span> <span word="War">War</span> <span word="era">era</span>".</p><p>"<span word="Here">Here</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Laos">Laos</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="you">you</span>," <span word="she">she</span> <span word="said">said</span>, <span word="addressing">addressing</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="embassy">embassy</span> <span word="employees">employees</span>.</p><p><span word="US">US</span> <span word="forces">forces</span> <span word="dropped">dropped</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 2 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="tons">tons</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ordnance">ordnance</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Laos">Laos</span> <span word="between">between</span> 1964 <span word="and">and</span> 1973 <span word="in">in</span> <span word="some">some</span> 580,000 <span word="bombing">bombing</span> <span word="missions">missions</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="North">North</span> <span word="Vietnam">Vietnam</span> <span word="supply">supply</span> <span word="lines">lines</span>.</p><p><span word="Some">Some</span> 30 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ordnance">ordnance</span> <span word="failed">failed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="detonate">detonate</span>. <span word="All">All</span> 17 <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="provinces">provinces</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="contaminated">contaminated</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="unexploded">unexploded</span> <span word="ordnance">ordnance</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Laos">Laos</span> <span word="remains">remains</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="heavily">heavily</span> <span word="bombed">bombed</span> <span word="country">country</span>, <span word="per">per</span> <span word="capita">capita</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="history">history</span>.</p><p><span word="Clinton">Clinton</span>, <span word="making">making</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="four">four</span>-<span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="whirlwind">whirlwind</span> <span word="trip">trip</span>, <span word="met">met</span> <span word="Prime">Prime</span> <span word="Minister">Minister</span> <span word="Thongsing">Thongsing</span> <span word="Thammavong">Thammavong</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="office">office</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="elegant">elegant</span> <span word="white">white</span>-<span word="columned">columned</span> <span word="building">building</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="elephant">elephant</span> <span word="statues">statues</span> <span word="outside">outside</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="pair">pair</span> <span word="had">had</span> "<span word="substantive">substantive</span> <span word="discussions">discussions</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="broadening">broadening</span> <span word="bilateral">bilateral</span> <span word="cooperation">cooperation</span>", <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="joint">joint</span> <span word="statement">statement</span> <span word="released">released</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="meeting">meeting</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="countries">countries</span> "<span word="agreed">agreed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="improve">improve</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="further">further</span> <span word="facilitate">facilitate</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="accounting">accounting</span> <span word="operations">operations</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="personnel">personnel</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="missing">missing</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Indochina">Indochina</span> <span word="War">War</span> <span word="era">era</span>" <span word="and">and</span> <span word="address">address</span> <span word="the">the</span> "<span word="remaining">remaining</span> <span word="challenges">challenges</span>" <span word="of">of</span> <span word="unexploded">unexploded</span> <span word="ordnance">ordnance</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="statement">statement</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="They">They</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="discussed">discussed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="forthcoming">forthcoming</span> <span word="entry">entry</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="landlocked">landlocked</span> <span word="Laos">Laos</span>, <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="poorest">poorest</span> <span word="nations">nations</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="just">just</span> 6.5 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="annual">annual</span> <span word="GDP">GDP</span> <span word="growth">growth</span> <span word="of">of</span> 7 <span word="percent">percent</span>, <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="World">World</span> <span word="Trade">Trade</span> <span word="Organization">Organization</span>.</p>
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