Mr Smith’s Office:
Courtney Hoogen 02 6277 7500 or 0488 244 901
AusAID Public Affairs 0417 680 590
MEDIA RELEASE
Stephen Smith MP
Minister for Foreign Affairs
M E D I A R E L E A S E
AA44
22 July 2009
AUSTRALIA SUPPORTS MEKONG WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
AND TRADE
To further strengthen Australia’s engagement with ASEAN and Asia today I met my ASEAN Foreign
Ministerial counterparts in Phuket, Thailand, for the annual ASEAN-Australia Post Ministerial
Conference.
Together we reviewed the extensive cooperation between Australia and ASEAN on security, regional
political and economic matters, and development cooperation.
I announced that Australia will provide $13 million to the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to
support better water resource management in the Mekong River basin.
Management of water resources is an important development challenge in the Mekong basin. The
abundant fish stocks and agricultural water of the river support the livelihoods of 60 million people in
the region. These include very many people from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, the
principal ASEAN countries to benefit from these initiatives.
Australia’s support will help develop the institutional capacity of the MRC and its staff, and improve
consultation on projects such as dam construction and water diversion for irrigation.
I also announced $1.2 million in Australian support to promote trade along key regional transport
corridors in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).
Over the last fifteen years trade has boomed and poverty has fallen across the Mekong. Improved
customs and quarantine procedures will help maintain and enhance this strong growth.
Australian support of the GMS Cross Border Transport Agreement will lower obstacles to the
movement of goods, vehicles and people across borders. Initial activities include training customs
officials at border crossings; developing a common border documents; and providing computer
equipment for greater efficiency.
Processing times at test border crossings have already been reduced from four hours to 70 minutes for
trucks, and from two hours to 30 minutes for passenger cars.
NEWS 
