The Portuguese-speaking African Countries and Timor-Leste (PALOP-TL) marked the 30th anniversary of their cooperation programme with the European Union (EU) on Wednesday in Brussels, saying it has been “excellent” but could still be “improved”.
At an extraordinary ministerial meeting, which brought together government officials responsible for cooperation in the five Portuguese-speaking African countries and Timor-Leste and the EU, represented by the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Juta Urpilainen, the Mozambican foreign minister, Veronica Macamo, coordinator of the programme, stressed that “over these 30 years of cooperation, it has been possible to strengthen democratic processes, good governance and mechanisms to control public finances”.
“The history of our cooperation with the European Union is also characterised by the maintenance of the identity and cohesion of the Portuguese-speaking African Countries and Timor-Leste,” she also noted.
Noting that this is “a particular moment of cooperation, with the transition to a new financial framework, of the new 2021-2027 programming cycle, for which it will be necessary to take important strategic decisions,” the head of Mozambique’s diplomacy then argued that this is an opportunity to “renew political engagement and firmness in consolidating” the cooperation programme.
“We are convinced that the traditional spirit of solidarity and consensus, at crucial moments of our cooperation, will help us in the search for more appropriate collective responses, so that our journey in the post-Cotonou era, is more fruitful and renewed. There is nothing good that cannot be improved, so although our cooperation is excellent, we can improve it,” advocated the Mozambican minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, who has been the general coordinator of the cooperation programme since 2005.
In her speech, the European Commissioner for International Partnerships also hailed the “30 years of successful cooperation”, stating that “over the past three decades, the PALOP-TL have made significant progress towards sustainable development, while strengthening and promoting values such as democracy, good governance and human rights”, with the EU “supporting their efforts by providing €118 million in funding”.
“Today, through the ‘Global Gateway’, we hope to take our partnership to the next level,” Commissioner Urpilainen said, referring to the EU’s new investment strategy – understood as a response to China’s ongoing global ‘New Silk Road’ – which envisages a €150 billion investment package for Africa over the next six years.
The European Commissioner noted that “PALOP-TL and the EU are already collaborating, both in national and regional initiatives of the ‘Global Gateway'” and gave as an example the inauguration, last September, of a modernised port on the island of Maio, in Cabo Verde.
Jutta Urpilainen also stressed that, regarding the rule of law, the EU will continue to “support efforts to strengthen public institutions and foster regional networking to fight corruption, money laundering and drug trafficking”.
“During these turbulent times, partnership and cooperation must remain strong. Through the ‘Global Gateway’, the EU is building mutually beneficial partnerships in digital, climate, energy, health, transport, education and research, and we are doing so in line with the universal values of democracy, freedom, rule of law and human rights,” she said.
“I believe that these same principles – cooperation and adherence to universal values – unite the various PALOP-TL countries,” she added.
PALOP-TL cooperation with the EU bloc began in 1992 and was extended to Timor-Leste in 2007.
Lusa
