Vietnam News Agency
August 27, 1999

(VNS)- International donors have pledged to disburse US$31.5 million for a Mekong basin development project and a programme on water exploitation by Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, according to General Secretary of Vietnam’s Mekong River Committee Nguyen Hong Toan.

Of the donation, $27.3 million comes from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the Global Environment Fund (GEF).

The Mekong basin development project has a total investment capital of $14 million funded by SIDA and DANIDA for the period from 2000 to 2006.

The project helps build sub-regions designed to fully develop the river water resources and related resources for sub-regions and riverine countries.

Meanwhile, the project on water use is expected to ensure an equal distribution of water resources between the four countries based on the agreed principle of the amount of water and water quality.

The project has a total capital of $17.5 million, of which $10.5 million will be offered by the GEF.

Other countries, including France, Finland and Japan, will donate $2.8 million.

The rest of the capital will be mobilized from the four project-related countries and elsewhere. The project is scheduled to be developed in seven years from 2000 to 2007.