Only a week after Prince Joachim’s visit to the country, Cambodia will welcome Denmark’s Minister for Development Cooperation, Mrs. Ulla Tornaes. Tomorrow she arrives in the capitol Phnom Penh for a two-day visit during which she will have an opportunity to assess what measures Denmark might take in continuing its aid assistance to the country.
For years, Cambodia has been so weighed down with corruption that donors have often been reluctant to dedicate large sums to the desperately needy population.
At the moment, Danish aid to Cambodia is mainly focused on the environmental sector. Last year Denmark’s total aid expenses in the country stood at approximately 34 million DKK, but a new five-year cooperation agreement for 2006-2010 is currently being developed.
Denmark has agreed to spend 220 million DKK on the new programme, which will set out to protect the environment along coastal areas, strengthen the utilization of forests, and reduce the use of pesticides.
In addition to this, Denmark is supporting other projects through the Danish NGO, Folkekirkens Nodhjaelp.
