Thongloun Sisoulith (born 10 November 1945)[2] is a Laotian politician and historian who serves as the general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the seventh president of Laos since 2021.[3] Thongloun was born and educated in Houaphanh province, before receiving education in Leningrad and Moscow in the Soviet Union. During the Laotian Civil War, he supported the Pathet Lao as a teacher. He then became the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1987 which lasted to 1992, where he then served in other posts in government. In 2001, he became the deputy prime minister before becoming the minister of Foreign Affairs in 2006. Described as a 'moderate' by the U.S embassy in Vientiane, Thongloun helped improve Laos–United States relations, which was welcomed in 2009 by Senator Jim Webb and in 2010 by Hillary Clinton; while improving Laos' relationship with China and Vietnam. In 2016, he became the prime minister where he undertook anti-corruption campaigns. He then became the general secretary of the LPRP and the president in 2021.