Brussels, 21/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - Development cooperation between the European Union and the Republic of Guinea, suspended since the military coup d'état of December 2008 in this ACP country, was formally resumed on Friday 21 December, with the signature of the strategy document and national indicative programme by the European Commission and the Guinean authorities.
Guinea will therefore be able to count on €174.3 million funded out of the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) to support the government's efforts in promoting good governance, the provision of basic social services and improving mobility and the road infrastructure. This programme will also feed into the consolidation of democracy, by means of promoting greater civil society involvement in public matters.
The recent adoption by the Guinean authorities of a precise election timetable for the general elections to be held has made this step forward possible. “Initially, the signature of these documents will make it possible to finance three urgent projects (representing 16% of the National Indicative Programme) in the fields of water, health and support for civil society. As soon as free and transparent parliamentary elections have been held next year, we can resume all of our support programmes”, said Andris Piebalgs, European Commissioner for Development.
The first projects to be implemented involve access to water and cleansing in rural and semi-urban areas (€8.4 million), healthcare support (€20 million), which will make it possible, amongst other things, to reactivate healthcare services and reduce child mortality rates in the regions of High Guinea and Forested Guinea, as well as support to reinforce the capacities of civil society (€6 million).
Although development cooperation with Guinea was suspended in 2008, €61.5 million was nonetheless made available by the EU to support the population to accompany the exit from crisis and cover requirements such as food safety, cleansing and maintaining the urban highway within the poorer areas of the cities. (AN/transl.fl)