EU Continues Key Role in Development Cooperation of Vietnam

The EU Blue Book 2011 - the annual publication presenting an overview of the European Union development cooperation activities in Vietnam - was launched on June 2 in Hanoi at an event organised by the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam.

The EU Blue Book 2011 provides a snapshot of the development cooperation between the European Union ( Members States and European Commission) and Vietnam, outlines its main development policy orientations - primarily poverty eradication - and provides concrete data on the EU disbursements and commitments in 2010 as regard its development assistance contribution to Vietnam. The European Union remains one of Vietnam's leading providers of development assistance, with a total of € 680 million (US$ 972,3 million) indicative commitment equivalent to 11,10 percent of total committed external aid, including 42 percent of grants, € 284,22 million (US$ 406,4 million).

 

In this 13th edition, the Blue Book thematic feature focuses on Aid Effectiveness in the context of the Busan High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness scheduled for November 2011. This event gives the opportunity to both EU and Vietnam to take stock of progress achieved since the Paris Declaration and its local version, the Hanoi Core Statement, in the implementation of the Aid Effectiveness agenda in Vietnam. Aid effectiveness remains a priority as Vietnam will approve, in 2011, its new overall development framework, the Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP), for the period 2011-2015. In parallel, an ODA strategic framework will be defined and approved and is expected to provide strategic orientations on the role and priorities of development assistance in Vietnam for the period 2011-2015.