Brussels, 05/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - The path is clear for the relaunch, under certain conditions and on a gradual basis, of development cooperation between the EU and Madagascar, in light of positive political developments in the country. This was decided by the Council of the EU on 5 December, on a proposal of the European Commission. This favourable decision, which was adopted without debate, is the EU's response to the roadmap to get out of crisis, which was signed on 16 September of this year by most Madagascar players, and which has already seen a positive outcome with the appointment of the consensus prime minister on 28 October.
Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, welcomes the fact that the conditions have now been met to allow the EU to “conditionally accompany the transition process (…), as long as this process is consensual and that the conditions for the implementation of the roadmap lead to the holding of credible, free and transparent elections permitting a rapid return to constitutional order”. Andris Piebalgs, the European Development Commissioner, states that “work is already underway on various programmes to provide populations with direct support”. (AN/transl.fl)