EU not interested in Vietnam’s express rail project

Sean Doyle, ambassador and head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Vietnam, said at a press conference in Hanoi June 7 that the EU has never discussed Vietnam’s express railway project because it is not the Union’s interest.

The EU made public the Green Book 2010 at the press conference. This is an annual book briefing the EU’s cooperative development activities in Vietnam and announcing the Union’s assistance plan for Vietnam in 2010, totaling EUR 62.25 million.

Answering questions about Vietnam’s controversial $56 billion transnational express railway project, Ambassador Doyle said, “The EU is not a big donor or big investor in transportation and infrastructure projects. Only the European Investment Bank provides loans for subway projects in HCM City and Hanoi. These projects have the participation of Germany and France.”

He confirmed that ambassadors of EU member states have never discussed this project because it is not in their interest.

Doyle mentioned two big concerns of the EU over its official development aid (ODA) grants for Vietnam: The risk of corruption and the inequality in sharing benefits from growth.

He said in recent years, Vietnam has used capital sources well, especially in education, urbanization and improving the living standards of ethnic minority groups.

The ambassador also said the EU is optimistic about Vietnam’s effective use of ODA. Despite the global economic crisis, the EU will continue giving stable aid to Vietnam, totaling around EUR 940.1 million this year, with one third of it as non-refundable aid.

According to the EU Green Book 2010, the EU is Vietnam’s key partner in socio-economic development assistance and its largest non-refundable aid provider.

Vietnamnet

Tags: Vietnam Infrastructure, Vietnam railway project