Brussels, 19/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - There was already an economic partnership agreement, there will now be a partnership strategy between the EU and the Caribbean region of the group of ACP States (Africa/Caribbean/Pacific). On Monday 19 November, the Council of the EU approved this regional cooperation strategy drafted jointly by the EU and the countries of the CARIFORUM to step up their cooperation in fields of mutual interest such as regional integration, the reconstruction of Haiti, the fight against climate change and natural disasters, security and the fight against crime, and the joint positions to defend within international bodies to promote human rights and democracy, encourage a coordinated response to the global financial and economic crisis and an ambitious global climate agreement.
The conclusions of the Council, which were adopted without debate on the sidelines of the meeting of foreign affairs ministers, welcomes this bilateral strategy whilst stressing the importance of the Caribbean in the external actions of the EU under the Cotonou agreement (a partnership agreement for development concluded in 2000 for a term of 20 years) linking the EU to the ACP countries (79 in total, soon to be 80 with South Sudan) and financed by the EDF. The Council also recognises the privileged links between the EU and the overseas countries and territories (OCT) of the Caribbean, cooperation also funded by the EDF. (AN/transl.fl)