Undersecretary of Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Laimonas Talat-Kelpša singled out the leading EU’s role in the international donor community and indicated that the EU’s Development Cooperation policy has to devote more attention to the neighbourhood in the East.
On 29-30 September, during the Informal Meeting of the EU Development Ministers in Bordeaux (France), Undersecretary of Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Laimonas Talat-Kelpša singled out the leading EU’s role in the international donor community and indicated that the EU’s Development Cooperation policy has to devote more attention to the neighbourhood in the East.
‘Today the EU institutions are individually solving issues of development of the Eastern neighbourhood, but the activities of various subdivisions could be coordinated more actively,’ said L.Talat-Kelpša.
During the meeting, the EU’s answer to the world food crisis was discussed, as well as the issues of the strengthening of the institutional structure of the EU’s Development Cooperation and promoting health reforms in developing countries. The EU Development Ministers discussed preparation for the the Doha International Conference on Financing for Development which is due in the end of 2008.
Undersecretary of the Ministry indicated that while getting prepared for this conference, it was important to increase the effectiveness of the Development Cooperation policy.
‘The EU should not grow away from the main principles of democracy, which happens now in various submitted drafts of documents, and should clearly state that one of the goals of the Development Cooperation policy is to assist in strengthening democracy and good governance in developing countries,’ said Laimonas Talat-Kelpša.
According to the Undersecretary of the Ministry, quickly developing countries, including the ones in the Eastern Europe, should be encouraged to join other donor countries as soon as possible.
‘If at least 10 new donors from the Eastern Europe, South Caucasus, Africa and elsewhere will have joined the international donor community by the 2020, this would be our great achievement,’ said L.Talat-Kelpša. According to the Undersecretary, this mission is not impossible, because during ten years 12 new EU countries have transformed themselves from recipients into donor countries.
At the initiative of the Undersecretary of the Ministry, the situation in Georgia and the upcoming donor conference for Georgia were also discussed during the informal meeting in Bordeaux. In the words of L.Talat-Kelpša, main directions of assistance to Georgia are the following: reconstruction of infrastructure, securing dynamic economy growth, rehabilitating confidence of investors and support while implementing the Neighbourhood Action Plan. The approaching donors’ conference has to grant appropriate financing for these priority areas. It is expected that the European Commission will allocate 500 million euros, and the EU member states will contribute voluntarily by collecting a not lesser amount.