At the 27th Council of the Mekong River Commission on 26 November, Flanders officially joined as a development partner of the MRC. Minister-president Jambon and Dr. An Pich Hatda, Chief Executive Officer of MRC, signed the Grant Agreement which determines the funding and the content of this commitment.
The Mekong River Commission for Sustainable Development is an intergovernmental treaty organisation whose task is the joint management of shared water resources and the sustainable development of the region. Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, the so-called riparian states, are members, and China and Myanmar are dialogue partners. The development partners are Australia, Germany, the EU, Finland, France, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the US, the World Bank, Sweden and Switzerland. And now also Flanders.
Flanders is earmarking 1.1 million euros for this partnership for the next five years. In doing so, it is giving substance to the ambition to promote Flemish interests in Asia via a multilateral framework and to put Flanders on the map in a region that is gaining geostrategic importance. The water-technical expertise section of the Mekong River Commission creates opportunities for the Flemish business community and allows it to focus on those themes where Flemish expertise and companies belong to the world top.
Minister-President and Foreign Minister Jan Jambon, Minister of Mobility Lydia Peeters and Minister of Environment Zuhal Demir are charged with developing this commitment, assisted by a broad partnership of departments and agencies of the Flemish Government: the Mobility and Public Works Department, the Environment Department, the Chancellery and Foreign Affairs Department, Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) and Flanders International Technical Agency (FITA).
An Pich Hatda, CEO of MRC: “The renewed support from New Zealand and Flanders comes at a very critical time when the Lower Mekong governments need it most to jointly address water management and development challenges and impacts in the Mekong River Basin.”
Minister-president Jan Jambon: “Along with this funding we will also offer our expertise to help the MRC in turning challenges into opportunities by ensuring that the environment is protected and the region is resilient to changing climate.”
