Vietnam sees opening of largest Australian aid project
MY THUAN - Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer travelled to the Mekong Delta Sunday for the opening of the largest single
infrastructure project built with Australian aid - a 1.5 kilometremile) bridge designed to open up one of the poorest areas of
Vietnam.
After the official ribbon cutting inside a tight security cordon on the north side of the river attended by Prime Minister Phan Van
Khai and former Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet the offical motorcade made a first crossing of the bridge.
But crowds of tens of thousands, who braved a tropical downpour to watch commemorative boat races held on the river to
mark the opening, blocked the visiting dignitaries from attending a planned dinner reception, Australian diplomats said.
The vast blue-cabled suspension bridge, likened to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) bridge across
Sydney harbour, spans the main branch of the Mekong, the world's 10th longest river.
Its central span sits 37.5 metres above the river's murky waters to give clearance to the international shipping which provides a
vital link to the outside world for neighbouring Cambodia.
The bridge cuts as much as three hours off the travelling time between the Mekong delta and the commercial capital of Ho Chi
Minh city 120 kilometresmiles) to its north.
The Australian aid agency AUSAID projects that the 90 million Australian dollar (52 million US dollar) project, two-thirds of
which was funded by Canberra, will bring 140-million-Australian-dollars worth of economic benefits to an area whose
developments have been hampered by poor communication.
The delta is Vietnam's rice bowl, but more than 3 million of its 16 million people live below the poverty line because of the
difficulties of getting their produce to market.
Downer, who himself launched construction of the bridge in July 1997, said the bridge constituted a "remarkable milestone in
the relationship between our two countries."
"The bridge will make a major contribution to improvements in economic and facial developments of the Mekong delta region,"
he said.
"This is a magnificent bridge but it is also a powerful symbol, a symbol of the strong and bright future for the Vietnamese people
and the close ties between our people."
Australia is Vietnam's third largest aid donor after Japan and Sweden and Vietnam is the third largest recipient of Australian aid
after Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
Downer stressed that his 3-day visit was not just about Australian aid.
"The strengths of the links between our countries is clearly demonstrated by Australian investment in Vietnam which currently
stands at 1.09 billion Australian dollars with over 100 Australian companies registered in Vietnam," he said.
Downer is to meet with Australian businessmen in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday amid a mounting exodus of foreign investors
disillusioned by the huge opportunies for corruption created by Vietnam's opaque legal system and mountainess red tape.
The foreign minister said he had raised the concerns of businessmen about the investment climate here during talks with Prime
Minister Phan Van Khai Saturday.
"We discussed ... how we would like to see the environment still more attractive to foreign investment than is currently the
case," he said.
Downer said he had also raised the question of human rights during his talks with foreign minister Nguyen Dy Nien on Saturday.
He said he was delighted that two political prisoners, whose release Australia has long pressed for, were freed as part of an
amnesty to mark last month's 25th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war.
"We had a long discussion on the whole question of human rights and I made it clear to the foreign minister that Australia and
Vietnem needed to engage on the issue of human rights."
Downer said he also discussed with Vietnamese officials Australia and New Zealand's plans for a free market with the
Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Vietnam is a member.
But Downer stressed that throughout his 5-day visit to Indochina he had kept a close eye on events back home in the South
Pacific where widespread looting following the seizure of the Fijian government has overshadowed his visit to Cambodia and
Vietnam.
He said he had been in touch with Fijian President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara only Saturday to offer Australia's help.
AFP - May 21, 2000.
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