Brussels, 08/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - At the donors' conference for Burundi, convened in Paris on Monday and Tuesday 11 and 12 December to assess the peace process and decide the eventual resumption of international cooperation with this country, European Commissioner Poul Nielson (development and humanitarian aid) will announce, on behalf of the European Commission, the release of a package of EUR 150 million for 2001, to support the peace consolidation process. This disbursement comes after an interruption of several years following the dramatic events that shook the country.
An agreement on EUR 43 million to offset losses in export receipts from the country under STABEX, will be signed by Commissioner Nielson and the Burundi authorities at the conference.
In a press release, Poul Nielson describes this contribution as a "tangible sign of Union solidarity with the people of Burundi" and as a gesture of encouragement for pursuing the efforts made by a country that has "made considerable progress towards peace over the past few months".
Another amount, of EUR 25 million, already announced by Poul Nielson to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in October, is already being released and should be available before the end of the year to finance measures needed for the return of refugees.
The conference in Paris, convened by President Jacques Chirac and placed under the patronage of mediator Nelson Mandela is chaired by UNDP and the World Bank. It comes three months after the signing of the Arusha peace agreement (Tanzania), which did not, however, bring an end to the civil war between the military and the rebels. This relative progress fuels the divide between donors on how appropriate it is to resume international aid.