LookAtVietnam – The European Union is to give aid worth 716 million euros (US$994million) to Viet Nam this year.

Forest rangers sort illegally-cut timber seized in Puch Chu Prong commune of Gia Lai province. EU funding will help preserve the nation’s forests and other natural resources.

At the launch of the 11th EU Blue Book, which features an overview of the union’s development initiatives in Viet Nam, the ambassador highlighted some achievements of the co-operation.

Michal Kral, the ambassador from the Czech Republic, which holds the EU Presidency, said “while the global economic crisis further underlined the need for effective development co-operation, Viet Nam remained at the forefront of the international aid effectiveness agenda.”

“The EU remains fully engaged in international efforts to increase aid effectiveness through better co-ordination and harmonisation of development co-operation with other donors and international agencies in Viet Nam,” he said.

The annual Blue Book also provides an insight into the development activities and underlines their main objective, eliminating poverty. The guide has statistical analysis of achievements from last year and lists indicative commitments for the coming year.

It also highlights the EU’s contribution to progressing aid effectiveness in Viet Nam and recent initiatives on environment and climate change, which aim to preserve, protect and improve the environment and public health.

It also focuses on the careful and rational use of natural resources and contributes to promoting, at international level, measures which can combat regional and global environmental problems.

The book said particular attention would be paid to the main areas of concern, capacity-building and applying aid effectiveness principles at sector level. It also said EU Health Working Group members would work on the Health Sector Capacity Support Project approved by the EC in December and also support the Statement of Intent for improving the effectiveness of development assistance for health adopted by the Ministry of Health and donors in March.

The Blue Book outlined why the EU was ready to assist Viet Nam, jointly with other donors, in combating pollution and environmental degradation which were reaching alarming levels in Viet Nam.

Last year, the EU committed $962 million to Viet Nam and disbursed $504 million in many fields, including education, health, infrastructure, banking, insurance, communication, water supply and sanitation, forestry, industry, fishing, trade policies and tourism.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News