Hanoi hosted a seminar on June 13 to review the Vietnam Provincial Environmental Governance (VCEG) project - considered the highlight of Vietnam-Canada cooperative relations. Funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the project aims to support the implementation of environmental protection law and help Vietnam increase its capacity for environmental management.. Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Deborah Chatsis reminded the conference that Canada and Vietnam have cooperated on environmental concerns since 1995. The VCEG project is considered the most successful, to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Canada and Vietnam this year, said the diplomat. CIDA has poured roughly CAD15 million into the project, in the form of technical and financial expertise. VCEP has run for the five years since 2008, led by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s (MONRE) Vietnam Environment Administration and its municipal and provincial offices in Hanoi, Danang, Binh Duong, Bac Ninh, Long An, Hai Duong, Quang Ngai, and Soc Trang. Delegates concurred on the project’s valuable contributions to the MONRE’s industrial pollution management strategies. The strategies support localities grappling with environmentally damaging aftereffects in both traditional craft villages and modern industrial parks. (dtinews.vn June 13)
