Commissioner Piebalgs in Djibouti to encourage country on its way to good governance and development
On 5 July, Andris Piebalgs, European Commissioner for Development will arrive in Djibouti for a visit during which he will meet with President Ismail Omar Guelleh, Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita and several other high-level representatives of the Djibouti government.
During his encounters with government officials the Commissioner will discuss issues of governance and of reinforced cooperation between the EU and Djibouti, particularly in the area of energy, water and sanitation. Exchanges will also cover more generally topics of poverty alleviation and how the Millennium Development Goals can be achieved in Djibouti.
Prior to his departure Commissioner Piebalgs said: "Djibouti is an important player in the Horn of Africa, which has clearly demonstrated its commitment to peace and stability in the region. The Commission wants to support its people in addressing the main challenges of the coming years, such as access to affordable and green energy and water supply. In the course of 2011, we plan to sign financing agreements worth €22 million."
In addition to his meetings with government representatives, the Commissioner will hold exchanges with the Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which is a regional organisation in the Horn of Africa. He will also carry out visits to a number of EU projects in Djibouti.
Agenda of the visit
Commissioner Piebalgs will meet:
- Ismail Omar Guelleh, President
- Dileita Mohamed Dileita, Prime Minister
- Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
- Dr Fouad Ahmed Aye, Minister of Energy and Water
- Hassan Darar Houffaneh, Minister of the Interior
- Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Minister of Economy and Finances
- Ali Farah Assoweh, Minister of Justice and Penitentiary Affairs
- Amareh Ali Saïd, Budget Minister
EU support to Djibouti
The 9th and 10th European Development Fund foresees a total of €63.7 million of aid for the period 2000-2013. EU projects in the country include (See MEMO/11/477 for more information):
- The rehabilitation of the Route Nationale 1, which links the port of Djibouti to Ethiopia.
- A project in a densely populated part of the capital has put in place a water supply network and a sewerage network to improve sanitary conditions and access to clean water.
- Recently, the Commission has signed a financing agreement for a project that will reinforce the electric power interconnection between Ethiopia and Djibouti, to improve access to renewable energy and reduce the costs of electricity.
Following a drought in 2008/2009, the European Commission, through its Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), supported the nutrition sector through a €500,000 grant to UNICEF and €1.2 million to the World Food Programme. €300,000 was furthermore allocated to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for emergency subsistence assistance for the pastoral population affected by the drought. A total of €1 million has been allocated by the Commission for humanitarian aid actions in Djibouti for 2011.
For more info:
Website of EuropeAid Development and Cooperation DG:
