News

At the EU’s Foreign Affairs (Development) Council meeting on 12 December, Lithuania’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrius Krivas stressed the importance of the new and comprehensive Post-2015 UN Development Agenda for sustainable development and poverty reduction in the world. This agenda will replace the UN Millennium Development Goals and outline development guidelines for both developing and developed countries.

On 12 December, the Vice-Minister underlined that obligations of the EU and other donor countries concerning future financing instruments of the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda must be bound with specific obligations of recipient countries to implement reforms and to seek changes.

“Lithuania is ready to share its knowledge and experience in implementing reforms with all partner countries,” said A.Krivas.

The Council discussed possible medium and long term measures to ensure economic recovery and reconstruction of West African countries affected by the Ebola virus. Ministers for Development Cooperation also discussed integration of the migration dimension into development policy and cooperation and noted that only controlled migration could have a positive impact on economic and social development of developing countries.

The European Commission and the European External Action Service briefed the Ministers on the new EU Plan of Action on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Development 2016-2020.

At the Council, the Economic Partnership Agreement was signed involving the EU and its member states, West African countries, the Economic Community of West African states and the West African Economic and Monetary Union. The agreement would boost the EU’s economic and trading partnership and contribute to a gradual integration of the West African region into the global economy.