Brussels, 17/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission and the government of the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) have signed, this Thursday in Brazzaville, a cooperation programme of EUR 51.3 million. Taken from the leftovers of the 8th European Development Fund (EDF), this amount will finance the implementation of the national indicative programme for the Congo, whose signing had been delayed by conflicts that raged in this country between 1997 and 1999.
The decision to sign this programme bears witness to the Commission's desire to bring its support to the development and democratisation programme in the country. The funds are aimed at the achievement of the priority objectives such as the fight against poverty, democratisation, the promotion of human rights and the rule of law, stated Poul Nielson, European Commissioner for development and humanitarian aid.
Targeted are: support to projects in the social domain, support towards the drafting of a national transport plan, the financing of a preliminary study for the reconstruction of the Brazzaville-Kinkala road, as well a the monitoring of the unfolding of the administrative census and technical support towards the drafting of an electoral law in accordance with international standards - two process for which the Congolese authorities have requested the Commission's support. The latter underlined, with regard to this, the importance of the rigorous respect for the various stages to be respected in the organisation of free, fair and transparent elections, according to a realistic electoral timetable guarantor of participation by political forces and the Congolese population. Following the national dialogue that took place from 17 March to 14 April with the mediation of the President of Gabon Omar Bongo, the Commission also encouraged the continuation of the dialogue between the representative political forces in the Congo to ensure a long-lasting peace in the country.
Since 1997, the Commission has granted humanitarian aid to the Republic of the Congo of EUR 24.3 million (aid for the return of the displaced peoples' to their areas of origin, food aid, primary health care, water supply, aid to refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo situated in the north of the country).