Brussels, 19/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - The EU and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) are to enhance their cooperation in the aim of improving the economic and social development of the Latin American and Caribbean countries. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed to this end in Washington on Friday 19 April by Andris Piebalgs, European Development Commissioner, and Olli Rehn, Commission Vice-President, for the EU, and Luis Alberto Moreno, IDB President. The signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the Bretton Woods Institutions (World Bank and International Monetary Fund, 17-21 April).
With this arrangement, the IDB and the EU will explore potential synergies and collaboration opportunities in areas of shared interest such as citizen security, renewable energies and energy efficiency, the environment and climate change, trade and private sector development, and public financial and budgetary management. Piebalgs also announced new funds of almost €5 million for the competitive industries and innovation programme multi-donor trust fund.
This contribution is part of a total commitment to the programme of €20 million, €15 million of which will be used to finance projects in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Piebalgs will represent the European Commission at the World Bank-IMF development committee meeting on 20 April, and will also take part in the first meeting of the Sustainable Energy for All Advisory Board - a UN initiative to provide universal access to sustainable energy by 2030. (AN/transl.jl)