By Linny Folau

The current 37th Session of the ACP-EU Joint Council of Ministers Meeting from June 14-15, is  discussing issues that will define relations of the African, Caribbean and Pacific group and the European Union for the future.

The President of the European Union Council and Danish Minister for Development Cooperation, Christian Friis Bach, in the opening ceremony on June 14 said that this session would be a substantial one because they would define their relations not only in the short term but also in the long run, up to 2020 and even beyond.

He told the hundreds of people and guests gathered at Independence Park that the meeting brought together the EU and ACP not only to exchange views but also to achieve concrete results.

“One issue that is surely a state of play is the Economic Partnership Agreements negotiations – EPAs. We are glad to see regional negotiations are gaining momentum and that both sides are showing commitment and willingness to overcome the outstanding issues in order to conclude the negotiations in the near future."

Financial crisis

He said that although the EU was experiencing an unprecedented economic and financial crisis the EU had maintained its position as the biggest global donor for Official Development Assistance.

"We remain firmly committed to the goal of eradicating poverty, as well as to fostering the sustainable economic, social, political and environmental development of our partners and these are vital in the frame of ongoing discussions on the future financing of the ACP-EU cooperation after 2013," he said.

Under discussion are the issues of migration and development finance cooperation and the importance of the performance review of the 10^th EDF, which should contribute to a decision on the amount of the ACP-EU financial cooperation under 2013.

 “I reiterate the importance of continued improvement in transparency and mutual accountability, in the light of the aid effectiveness principles.”

The meeting is attended by the EU Commissioner for Development, Andris Pielbalgs  at Vanuatu's Le Lagoon Resort.

Alliance

The Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Rt. Hon Meltek Sato Kilman Livtuvanu, said he was proud that the alliance between ACP-EU was a strong and vibrant trans-regional intergovernmental partnership that began more than three decades ago.

The Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Rt. Hon Meltek Sato Kilman Livtuvanu

He said this session brought together the European countries and that of the developing countries of ACP, in a partnership of union and promise of prosperity.

However, the partnership through the ACP-EU cooperation framework had also given rise to new challenges which needed to be collectively addressed to ensure continuity and mutual confidence in the entire process of the partnership, he said.

"It is very important that this meeting brings to the Oceania region the timely opportunity for the Pacific nations to fully and constructively contribute to the discussions and reflect on the future perspective of ACP and its engagement with the EU."

The Joint ACP-EU Ministers meeting should strongly take heed of the repeated calls by the Pacific Leaders for the Commission to ensure immediate steps is taken to allow for meaningful engagement with the Pacific ACP region, in order to conclude negotiations on a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement EPAs by 2012, he said.

“Our citizens must see the ACP-EU partnership as a union of promise and prosperity and the partnership must honour a homeless fellow citizen in metropolitan cities, it must bring hope to a cotton or a banana farmer in the African continent, it must offer hope for a rewarding life to a sugar or a coconut farmer in the Pacific region and it must promise hope to kava farmer who is disposed and may be arbitrary isolated by the imposition of the technical barriers of trade.”

Kava

He also asked that with greater understanding between the EU member states and the Pacific nations to reconsider the current imposition of the ban and subsequently restore market access for kava into selected EU market.

Hope for prosperity under this partnership should be the pressing burden of this cooperation, he said.

The opening ceremony for the Joint ACP-EU meeting was a national event that included colourful traditional dances. School children lined the roads and welcomed the leaders of the EU and ACP, to the two days of deliberation that will determine the future relations between the member countries of the African, Caribbean and Pacific group and the EU.