On Sunday, July 9, MCNV had a meeting in The Hague with the Vietnamese delegation. The Prime Minster and other Ministers from Vietnam were in The Netherlands to talk about cooperation and exchange between Vietnam and the Netherlands. MCNV’s Guus Paardekooper and Karin Vlug had a meeting with the Minister of Health and the Vice-Minister of Agriculture. Guus Paardekooper emphasized the developments and activities regarding climate change in Ben Tre and the attention needed for food security in many areas of Vietnam, such as in the provinces of Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Quang Tri.
Guus Paardekooper: “Cooperation between a network of organisations like MCNV, knowledge institutes, companies and governments – is now of the utmost importance, together we are stronger and able to tackle the problems at the macro level. Of course, MCNV continues to work for the people in the villages, no doubt about that. We see it as our task to connect both levels ”
Karin Vlug: “For our donors and other private- and corporate donors, it is becoming increasingly important to know what the role of the Vietnamese government is, to what extent are they responsible for the most vulnerable people, technically, but also financially. MCNV is almost 50 years active in Vietnam, much has changed in these years. Such as the fact that malaria and tuberculosis are now under control and entirely under the responsibility of the Vietnamese government. MCNV initiates, launches programs and finally hand them over to the government. That is ours approach and main goal.”
Guus Paardekooper: “Technical expertise, but also financial support must come from different sources. Only then we can contribute to improve the life of people in a sustainable and structural way. That’s what MCNV is about. ”
After the meeting there was, of course, a photo moment. A next meeting between MCNV and both Ministries was planned for October 2017 in Hanoi.
