Deputy Minister Dinkova discusses with Lothar Jaschke, Political Adviser at the EEAS, deepening of the cooperation with Sub-Saharan Africa
25 June 2021 News
The deepening of the cooperation on topical issues related to Sub-Saharan Africa between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European External Action Service (EEAS) was the focus of a meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Zaritsa Dinkova and Lothar Yashke, EEAS Political Adviser in the Horn of Africa.
Among the topics discussed was the development aid targeted at African countries. The Bulgarian side presented the Medium-Term Program for Development and Humanitarian Aid for the period 2020-2024, which includes Angola, Ethiopia, Namibia and Nigeria as priority countries. Emphasis was placed on coordinated field interaction between EU Delegations and Member States, which will increase efficiency on the field.
In the context of the ongoing third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa and a request for assistance from Namibia, Bulgaria indicated that they are exploring ways to provide humanitarian assistance to deal with the crisis. In this context, the EEAS recommended that, in addition to the assistance mechanism proposed, the possibilities of the Team Europe Initiative and the COVAX mechanism (Global Initiative to Ensure Equal and Fair Access to Safe and Effective Vaccines) should be explored.
Another aspect discussed for greater coordination between Member States and EU Delegations in the field was the practice of allowing diplomats from EU Member States to work in a separate office in the EU Delegations. This would be possible in African countries, where Bulgaria has an interest in restoring its diplomatic presence. The potential possibility of co-location of Bulgarian diplomats in the EU Delegations in Angola, Kenya and Namibia was discussed.
During the meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, current topics on the EU agenda under the Horn of Africa were also discussed, focusing on the situation in Ethiopia: the general elections held on 21 June 2021, the human rights situation in Tigrei, and the dispute between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan over the construction and operation of the Ethiopian Dam “Renaissance”.