Guinea-Bissau: EU lifts restrictions on cooperation

By European Council
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BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, March 24, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Council has repealed the measures limiting the European Union's cooperation with Guinea-Bissau. This comes in the wake of credible elections in 2014, the restoration of constitutional order and the country's progress in putting into practice reform commitments made to the EU. As a consequence, the EU fully resumes cooperation with Guinea-Bissau.

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini said: "Guinea-Bissau has embarked on a new path of peace, reconciliation and development after the holding of elections and the restoration of the constitutional order in 2014. Today's decision allows us to support the efforts of the authorities to rebuild the country, entrench democratic institutions and lay the foundations for long-term stability. Already this week the EU is co-organising, together with the government of Guinea-Bissau and the UN, an international conference that will mobilise support for the implementation of reforms in Guinea-Bissau and its development programme".

EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica added: "Guinea-Bissau is back on the international scene and ready to move forward with the support of the EU. We will in the coming months finalize the programming of the 11th EDF envelope and align our cooperation with the priorities of the national development strategy of the government."

The EU encourages Guinea-Bissau to stay united and continue its efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and the rule of law, reform the security sector and combat corruption, impunity and drug trafficking. The Union supports efforts to face these challenges and is currently discussing the programming for the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) with Guinea-Bissau.

In July 2014, the Council suspended the restrictions on cooperation with Guinea-Bissau, following the holding of free and credible elections. The measures limiting the cooperation with Guinea-Bissau had been imposed in July 2011 after the appointment of the main instigators of the military munity on April 2010 to leading posts in the military hierarchy, which the EU considered as a serious breach of the essential elements of the Cotonou Agreement.