State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andrej Šter, presented the priorities of Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union to the European Parliament Committee on Development (DEVE) in Brussels. Mr Šter said that, despite technological progress and economic growth, many people live in poverty. One of the major challenges before the international community is answering the question of how to ensure prosperity for all humankind. The European Union, as the largest donor in the world, has to responsibility and support the disadvantaged countries and people. Its main priority is on children and women in armed conflict, but also in reference to the upcoming Accra Meeting on Aid Effectiveness, the main topics are division of labour and aid effectiveness. He also wants to push the achievement of the MDGs. The Slovenian Presidency will also be responsible to kick off the implementation of the joint Africa-EU Strategy approved at the Lisbon Summit. In a recent meeting of the EP Development Committee, MEPs raised the issue of the means available for the implementation of the joint Africa-EU Strategy, a question that will have to be dealt with in the coming months.
