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EU provides more than '¬1.3b for Africa, Indian Ocean programs
European commissioner for international cooperation and development, Neven Mimica, has co-signed new regional funding for cooperation with southern and eastern Africa, as well as the Indian Ocean, between now and 2020
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E
uropean commissioner for international cooperation and development, Neven Mimica, has co-signed new regional funding for cooperation with southern and eastern Africa, as well as the Indian Ocean, between now and 2020.
The so-called Regional Indicative Programme (RIP) under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) amounts to a total of more than '¬1.3 billion.
Co-signatories were the secretary-generals and executive secretaries of five regional organizations, representing 29 African countries.
'The regional organizations are very important partners for the EU in our cooperation with Africa. The fact that our funding to south and east Africa and the Indian Ocean has more than doubled since the last financing period is clear proof of that,' said Mimica.
'We will now be able to launch programs in key sectors of regional cooperation such as peace and security, economic integration and the management of natural resources.'
The Regional Indicative Programme was co-signed by Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) secretary-general Sindiso Ngwenya, East African Community (EAC) secretary-general Richard Sezibera, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) executive secretary Mahboub Maalim, Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) secretary-general Jean Claude de l'Estrac, and Southern African Development Community (SADC) executive secretary Stergomena Lawrence Tax.
The European Commission (EC) says regional funding to southern, eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean will target three priority areas in the region.
'It will foster peace, security and regional stability, helping to prevent and manage conflict, and address security threats in a region of key strategic importance for Europe. This complements EU efforts to enhance resilience and tackle the root causes of migration,' it says.
The funding also will promote regional economic integration and trade facilitation, by integrating markets, promoting investment and improving production capacities, including the development of infrastructure.
'The funding will support sustainable natural resource management at regional level, improving resilience and biodiversity conservation,' the EC added. (ebf)(+++)
