Source - Vietnam News Agency
December 16, 2006

HCM CITY - The international donor community has increased aid to the
Mekong River Commission programmes on environ-mental management and
fighting droughts.

The announcement was made Thursday at a seminar in HCM City attended by
delegates from MRC-member countries (Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Viet
Nam), partner organisations and development banks.

This will be funded by a 45 million Danish kroner (US$7.72 million)
grant from the Danish government through the Danish International
Development Agency (Danida), and will extend to 2010.

The Danish Government will also provide 7.5 million Danish Kroner
(US$1.28 million) for the MRC's Environmental Programme.

The Belgian Government has made a commitment for substantial support to
the newly formulated Drought Management Programme and a Hydropower
Programme in 2007.

Dr. Cao Duc Phat, MRC Council Chairman for 2006-2007, Minister of
Agriculture and Rural Development and Chairman of Viet Nam National
Mekong Committee, said: "In many cases, increased support is
verification that MRC is going in the right direction to help achieve
its sustainable development objectives within the Mekong River Basin."

Representatives from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank
spoke as participants rather than as observers for the first time at
the Council meeting.

"We recognise the effort made by the MRC Secretariat in getting the
banks on board for our joint activities in the Asian Development Bank
(ADB) and the World Bank's Mekong Water Resources Partnership as well
as the ADB's Greater Mekong Sub-region Programme," Phat said.

"Strengthening our relationship will only support further consolidation
of our joint efforts to alleviate poverty in the basin."

The CEO of the MRC Secretariat, Dr Olivier Cogels, said the MRC's
financial status was very sound.

"We have a very clear vision of our goals and priorities and the strong
consensus reached this year between donors and countries on our
Strategic Plan 2006-2010 will allow us to consolidate our leadership
for addressing the key development challenges in the Mekong River
Basin," Dr Cogels said. - VNS

 

 

 

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