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Belgium vows $86m in development aid
Viet Nam will receive an official development assistance fund of US$86.2 million under a new co-operation agreement signed with Belgium in Ha Noi yesterday.
The agreement on a new indicative co-operation programme for 2011-15 between Belgium and Viet Nam was signed by Viet Nam's Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Kingdom of Belgium's Directorate General for Development.
The fund is expected to be mainly used to improve sectors of water and sanitation and governance in Viet Nam.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Cao Viet Sinh said, "The co-operation programme is entirely consistent with the country's Socio-economic Development Plan 2011-15 which is expected to be approved in September this year."
While poverty reduction remained the programme's core goal, it was also scheduled to support Viet Nam to cope with emerging challenges, including climate change impacts, lack of skilled human resources, developing green-based economy and gender disparities, he said.
About $43 million would be allocated to water and sanitation to cope with and reduce climate change impacts in three provinces of Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan and Ha Tinh.
Director general Peter Moors of the Directorate General for Development said the programme would spend about $17 million to cover interventions in the governance sectors.
Belgium had tripled the funding of its scholarship programme to EUR12 million ($17 million) to help Viet Nam solve the lack of qualified human resources, he said.
On the same day, the first Joint Commission on Economic Co-operation between the two countries was also held in Ha Noi.
Belgium and Viet Nam discussed space technology, dredging, waste and water management, the health sector as well as food safety issues.
Belgian Prime Minister Leterme said: "In the long term I hope Viet Nam will become the primary and privileged economic partner of Belgium in Asia."
The next Joint Commission on Economic Co-operation will be held in Brussels in the autumn of 2012.
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