EUROPEAN COMMISSION - PRESS RELEASE
Commissioner Piebalgs in Djibouti to encourage
country on its way to good governance and
development
Brussels, 4 July 2011 – On 5 July, Andris Piebalgs, European Commissioner for
Development will arrive in Djibouti for a visit during which he will meet with
President Ismail Omar Guelleh, Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita and several
other high-level representatives of the Djibouti government.
During his encounters with government officials the Commissioner will discuss
issues of governance and of reinforced cooperation between the EU and Djibouti,
particularly in the area of energy, water and sanitation. Exchanges will also cover
more generally topics of poverty alleviation and how the Millennium Development
Goals can be achieved in Djibouti.
Prior to his departure Commissioner Piebalgs said: "Djibouti is an important player
in the Horn of Africa, which has clearly demonstrated its commitment to peace and
stability in the region. The Commission wants to support its people in addressing
the main challenges of the coming years, such as access to affordable and green
energy and water supply. In the course of 2011, we plan to sign financing
agreements worth €22 million."
In addition to his meetings with government representatives, the Commissioner will
hold exchanges with the Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on
Development (IGAD), which is a regional organisation in the Horn of Africa. He will
also carry out visits to a number of EU projects in Djibouti.
More follows
IP/11/827
Agenda of the visit
Commissioner Piebalgs will meet:
- Ismail Omar Guelleh, President
- Dileita Mohamed Dileita, Prime Minister
- Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International
Cooperation
- Dr Fouad Ahmed Aye, Minister of Energy and Water
- Hassan Darar Houffaneh, Minister of the Interior
- Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Minister of Economy and Finances
- Ali Farah Assoweh, Minister of Justice and Penitentiary Affairs
- Amareh Ali Saïd, Budget Minister
EU support to Djibouti
The 9th and 10th European Development Fund foresees a total of €63.7 million of
aid for the period 2000-2013. EU projects in the country include (See
MEMO/11/477 for more information):
- The rehabilitation of the Route Nationale 1, which links the port of Djibouti to
Ethiopia.
- A project in a densely populated part of the capital has put in place a water
supply network and a sewerage network to improve sanitary conditions and
access to clean water.
- Recently, the Commission has signed a financing agreement for a project that
will reinforce the electric power interconnection between Ethiopia and Djibouti,
to improve access to renewable energy and reduce the costs of electricity.
Following a drought in 2008/2009, the European Commission, through its
Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), supported the nutrition
sector through a €500,000 grant to UNICEF and €1.2 million to the World Food
Programme. €300,000 was furthermore allocated to the Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) for emergency subsistence assistance for the pastoral
population affected by the drought. A total of €1 million has been allocated by the
Commission for humanitarian aid actions in Djibouti for 2011.
For more info
MEMO/11/477
Website of EuropeAid Development and Cooperation DG:
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/index_en.htm
Website of the European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs:
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/piebalgs/index_en.htm
Contacts :
Catherine Ray (+32 2 296 99 21)
Wojtek Talko (+32 2 297 85 51)
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