National Gold Medal
National Gold Medal is the highest award of Lao People's Democratic Republic. This honor was created in 1981 by the first Laotian president Souphanouvong. The honour was awarded to the President of Laos and others.
The National Gold Medal was first awarded in 1981 to a former leader of Communist Party of Vietnam, Lê Duẩn, during an official state visit. In 1989, Souphanouvong was awarded this medal on the occasion of his 80th birthday. Other notable recipients include Kim Il-sung, Hun Sen, Fidel Castro, Leonid Brezhnev, Nguyễn Phú Trọng and Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.