External investment plan on the agenda of ministers responsible for development policy

Brussels (12 September 2016) - The informal meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council for Development held in Brussels was dominated by the forthcoming External Investment Plan - an initiative focused on the root causes of migration in Africa and the EU neighbourhood. The informal meeting was chaired by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini i, and the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the EU was represented by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Lukáš Parízek.

The External Investment Plan is one of the most ambitious initiatives to be presented in these days in order to help tackle migration which has, inter alia, a development dimension.

Lukáš Parízek

‘The External Investment Plan is one of the most ambitious initiatives to be presented in these days in order to help tackle migration which has, inter alia, a development dimension,’ State Secretary Parízek said. As he clarified, ‘the plan aims to link public and private resources, potentially to the level of EUR 40 billion’.

On 14 September, the European Commission will present the External Investment Plan initiative, which will include a legislative proposal to set up a European fund for sustainable development and mechanisms for providing technical assistance and improving the business environment. The Slovak Presidency is ready to devote all its efforts to this issue.

‘We will strive to reach the quickest possible agreement among all those involved in the debate, and thereby bring the legislative process to an end, so that the idea of the fund becomes a reality,’ Mr Parízek said.

The informal ministerial meeting also centred on discussions on the EU global strategy, the link between security and development, and a revision of the European Consensus on Development focused on middle-income countries.

On Tuesday, 13 September, State Secretary Lukáš Parízek will open a conference in Brussels entitled 'EU - Central Asia: New Dimensions of Cooperation'. The conference has been organised by the Slovak Presidency in cooperation with the UNDP i Regional Centre in Istanbul and will feature a number of foreign speakers including the UNDP Regional Director, Cihan Sultanoğlu. The conference will address political, security and development cooperation with Central Asian countries in the context of a changing global environment, including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.