 with URI, one major award, the Three Reductions, Three Gains program to improve the environment and livelihoods of rice farmers, and Genuine Laos, the story of the project that revolutionized rice production in Laos PDR. URI's current research and development activities with Laos PDR are comprehensive and exciting. URI's open farmers in Laos PDR's North Southern Region publicate the agricultural practices and find varieties that suit their conditions and minimize environmental impacts for this project. URI's collaborating with Laos PDR researchers to test seasonal weather forecasting and adapt crop management systems to help farmers cope. We are developing rice varieties with beneficial traits, such as drought tolerance, that are important to Laos PDR farmers. URI's enhancing the aroma of Laos PDR grown rice to help improve its quality, its value, and its export appeal. We are helping to further develop the Laos PDR rice knowledge bank and also helping farmers in irrigated areas adopt beneficial post-production processes for water management. Total rice production in Laos PDR increased from 1.5 million tons in 1990 to more than 2 million tons in 1999 and the current rice production exceeds 3 million tons. That is a doubling of rice production in about 20 years in major achievement. By 2004, modern rice varieties have been adopted in Laos PDR on 69% of land planted to rice. In 2008, 87% and 67% of farmers inside and outside of respect to the major rice growing plains of Laos PDR grow improved woodless rice varieties. With theory, Laos PDR has developed and adopted a seven best management practices to stabilize and sustain rice production. Our institution has contributed to the country's national rice research system. We have hosted over 60 Laos scholars and trained 179 people in short. It is with great honor that I welcome His Excellency Tonceng Tamavong to URI as another landmark in our partnership with Laos PDR. Today we will sign another memorandum of understanding between URI and Laos and allow PDR to further advance rice research and collaboration to further help increase rice production. I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all the comprehensive briefing on the great work that URI has achieved and the institute has provided us with the impression to witness the outcome and success of research programs that URI has conducted through the past years and agreed to truly admire the cooperation program which the concerned ministries announced. Today, we have signed a memorandum of understanding between URI and Laos and allow us to further advance rice research and collaboration to further advance the memorandum of understanding. Today marks an unimportant milestone in the cooperation between URI and the Laos PDR. We do hope that by implementation of this important MOU, the institute and the concerned sectors of Laos will continue to enhance your cooperation in years of research and increase rice varieties and production. Today we have signed a memorandum of understanding between URI and Laos and allow us to further advance rice research and collaboration to further advance rice production. I would like to thank His Excellency for his very kind words and once again for his taking the time for his very busy schedule to visit us. Many of you may not know that URI has the rice museum that has on display many different aspects of rice production and His Excellency has brought with him a set of traditional rice growing implements from Laos to make a contribution to this museum. And on behalf of the institute I would like to thank him and his government and indeed the Laos people for their generosity in sharing a small part of their heritage with our rice museum. We will be visiting the Rice Museum as well as the Jean Bank so that the Prime Minister can see firsthand the depository where their gifts to all the rice growing community. I also would like to present His Excellency with a small personal gift as a symbol of our gratitude. Thank you.