Handing over the EU Council Presidency in the field of development cooperation to Slovenia

24. 6. 2021

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Permanent Representation to the European Union Brussels

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended the handover of the Trio Presidency of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in the format of development cooperation ministers. The meeting took the form of an audio-video conference and was attended by the Portuguese State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Francisco André, and the German State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, Martin Jäger.

sitting at the table, flags behind — State Secretary Raščan and his delegation during talks | Author Ministrstvo za zunanje zadeve

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The State Secretaries held a brief exchange of views on the main dossiers in this area, including the state of play of negotiations to reach a new agreement between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, the so-called Post-Cotonou Agreement. They also discussed the launch of a new global financial instrument for the neighbourhood and development and international cooperation, NDICI - Global Europe, and mentioned the renewed European financial architecture for development. Part of the talks concentrated on global health and recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic and the related issue of vaccine distribution to partner countries.

State Secretary Raščan briefed his colleagues on the programme and priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency in the field of development cooperation in the second half of this year. The programme will be directed towards a green recovery after the pandemic, with a focus on food security and global health. It will be based on two priorities: water as the main thematic priority and gender equality as a cross-cutting priority.