EUROPEAN Community Ambassador Gwyn Morgan has told the Post that the focus of
donations to Cambodia will shift from international NGOs to the government. He
said the EC's commitment to the Cambodian government has no strings attached to
it.
Morgan is also the EC's Ambassador to Thailand, Malaysia, Laos,
Vietnam, Singapore as well as Cambodia.
He said:"We are obviously in a
new ball-game in Cambodia because of the elections, and the formation of the new
government.
"Whereas previously we worked exclusively through
non-governmental organizations, we are now taking stock of the need to work out
programs in cooperation with the Royal Cambodian Government.
"A number of contacts by technical experts and consultants have taken place
already."
The EC is the largest aid donor in Cambodia.
Morgan
said:"Prior to the elections we had no choice but to work with international
organizations. But we are in a better position now, since we want to give the
majority of our funding direct to the government.
"We will have a
smaller percentage of a larger sum, nevertheless, to spend with NGOs. But we
will be able to be more selective and choose the NGOs that we know can be really
delivering on the ground."
When asked whether the money already commited
was contingent at all to political developments, Morgan said: "We did not make
any conditions whatsoever. We deal with the government in place, and if it is
replaced by another one tommorow, as long as it is responsible, we will continue
to deal with it.
"On the question of what kind of government we will deal
with, we have 120 Embassies in Brussels, accredited to the European Union. We've
got every possible size, shape, form of government in power that you could
imagine.
"Nothing, nothing surprises us. We've managed to work with all
kinds of governments, I have no reason to believe that we won't be able to work
with any future government here."
When asked about the EC's assesment of
governmental policy so far, Morgan said: "We, the EC, are most impressed by the
efforts being made by the Cambodian government to create an [institutional]
structure.
"It is not easy, it is not even, it is not global, but the
effort, nevertheless, is one to be admired. Given the rather chaotic situation
in which Cambodia found itself prior to the elections, our attitude is a
realistic one.
"We do not scream perfection, and neither do our Cambodian
interlocutors claim perfection. And our aim in our cooperation with the Royal
Government of Cambodia is to sustain the government of Cambodia as
well."
"Part of our cooperation is aimed to show that we want to be in
permanent partnership with the government of Cambodia. We are optimistic, but
not unrealistic.
"Our main concern is that the government whatever its
pattern of governance, is capable of using our funds constructively and
positively and to that extent we think that this government can do it.
"We will not put our money in unless we are sure that there is a
structure of some kind, but the Royal government has welcomed this support, it
has in fact asked us for help, and it is our first and most important
priority."
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