Brussels, 26/08/2004 (Agence Europe) - The Dutch Presidency has publicised an initiative by Dutch development cooperation minister Agnes Van Ardenne to make the ten new EU Member States aware of Europe's work around the world. The minister is organising a study trip from 28 August to 6 September for parliamentarians, officials and civil society representatives from the new Member States. This is the first study trip of its genre, and will be looking at development projects in Uganda and Vietnam. Agnes Van Ardenne said the trip was the ideal opportunity for the new Member States to learn about their new role as donors since many of them have rapidly moved from the situation of receiving aid to giving aid. The trip is being organised with the United Nations Population Fund and the Dutch organisation World Population Foundation and will enable participants to learn about experiences in the field relating to reproductive health and HIV/AIDS.
Noting that the EU is the world's leading development aid donor, Van Ardenne urged Europe to keep up its efforts, adding that the international community had pledged to halve by 2015 the number of people living on less than a dollar a day, and to achieve this Millennium Goal, the commitment of the new EU Member States would be more than appreciated.