Prior to the Mid-Term Consultative Group Meeting to be held in Kien Giang province, Ayumi Konishi, ADB Country Director for Vietnam said: “I wanted my colleagues to see and feel the great potentials of the Mekong Delta region with growing connectivity which still needs further support ".
A group of ambassadors and staff of aid agencies are visiting Can Tho city, An Giang province and Cambodia on 6-8 June prior to the Mid-Term Consultative Group Meeting to be held on 9-10 June.
The Study Tour will be led by Standing Deputy Minister of Transport Ngo Thinh Duc, with the participation of ambassadors of Australia, Germany, Belgium, and a number of international development partners. It aims to promote better understanding of the growing connectivity and development opportunities and challenges of the Central and Southern Mekong Delta regions and their linkages with the neighboring Cambodia.
The tour will start from the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho. Participants will then visit An Giang province and meet leaders of the provincial People’s Committee. Afterwards, they will cross border in Chau Doc to visit Cambodia’s neighboring areas and then return to Vietnam through the Ha Tien International Border Gate on 8 June.
To support the Southern Mekong Region's economic growth by strengthening connectivity with neighboring countries and increasing competitiveness, the Government of Australia, the Korean Eximbank and the ADB have provided financial support for the Greater Mekong Subregion Southern Coastal Corridor Project since 2006. With the growing cross border trade, GDP of Kien Giang province has been seeing double digit growth in the recent years. Donors are also examining the feasibility of further support to improve connectivity of the Central and Southern Mekong Delta Regions.
ADB Country Director Ayumi Konishi also wanted donors for Vietnam to see climate change challenges facing the Mekong Delta region, and regional co-operation prospects with the region’s neighbours.
Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Allaster Cox said: “Australia believes that strengthened connectivity among the nations of the Greater Mekong Sub-region will be crucial to enhanced intra-regional trade, economic growth and poverty reduction”.
He stressed: “For this reason, we are providing significant support for transport infrastructure in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, including AUD33 million in grant financing for the Southern Coastal Corridor Project and AUD2 million for the assessment of the feasibility of the proposed Central Mekong Delta Connectivity Project, which includes the Cao Lanh bridge”.
Deputy Minister Ngo Thinh Duc affirmed that thanks to assistance from development partners, Vietnam can improve the road conditions that help reduce transport time and costs substantially and enable more efficient movement of goods and passengers not only within the Mekong Delta region but also between Thailand and Cambodia.
The Study Tour is jointly organised by the Ministry of Transport, the Asian Development Bank, the Embassy of Australia and the Korean Eximbank.
ADB: Mekong Delta region needs further support
The region has great potentials with growing connectivity which still needs further support, said ADB Director in Vietnam.
Source: Nhan Dan
