EU Development Ministers held an informal exchange of views on Monday 14 June in an in camera video conference in Brussels regarding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on middle-income countries and how these countries could play a key role in the global recovery.
These countries have great potential if they implement effective reforms, according to the EU. It believes it can help them by giving more support to their recovery plans and by sharing its vision of a green and sustainable recovery, said the statement.
The EU Council conclusions, which were adopted the same day without debate (in the margins of the EPSCO Council), underline the role that middle-income countries can play as key partners in the UN 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs as well as the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
The EU Council also recognises the strategic importance of these countries in the current geopolitical context and their role in supporting the EU in promoting its interests and priorities, in addition to its multilateral agenda.
The Council of the EU is calling upon the EU to address the specific challenges faced by middle-income countries, while taking into account their diversity and wide geographical spread in custom partnerships.
See the EU Council conclusions: https://bit.ly/3gyFAvb (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)