After visits and exchanges between AIT and the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Finland on the institute’s possible engagement in
replicating a Finnish led initiative called the “Energy and
Environment Partnership with Central America”, AIT received an
important delegation from the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 17
September 2008. The framework of the Finnish cooperation policy for the
Mekong region includes developing small and concrete projects to
address poverty alleviation and sustainability development while
dealing with issues related to environment, forestry, energy, climate
change, and related themes.
An AIT team is currently preparing a concept note on the project,
drawing from the Finnish experience in the Central America and adapting
it in light the institute’s extensive experience in regional issues.
AIT and the Finnish government also plans to organize a workshop on
renewable energy in the Mekong region for officials and potential
partners from concerned countires such as Cambodia, Laos, Thailand,
Vietnam. The government of Finland and other interested development
agencies will be invited. The workshop will take place at AIT on 28 and
29 October 2008.
Other interests for the government of Finland include the
institute’s Pulp and Paper Technology.
The Finnish delegation included Ms. Marita Meranto, Project
Manager for Southeast Asia, Mr. Veikko Soralahti, Counselor on
Latin America and the Caribbean, Mr. Hannu Eerola, Energy
advisor, Mrs. Helena Ahola, First Secretary (Development
Co-operation) at the Finnish Embassy in Bangkok, Ms. Kaisa
Uusimaa, intern, as well as Mr. Bhuripan Kalnaovkul, market
analyst at Finpro. In addition to myself, they held extensive
discussions with Prof. Sudip Rakshit, Vice-President for
research, Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul, Energy field of study
coordinator, Dr. Rajendra Shrestha, Coordinator, Natural
Resources Management, Dr. Mithulananthan Nadarajah and Dr.
Brahmanand Mohanty from Energy, Dr. Pritam K. Shrestha,
Head, External Relations and Communication, and Mr. Jean-Philippe
Thouard, Advisor to the administration.