The Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States

ACP SECRETARIAT

Brussels , 19 September 2006

The President of the European Parliament, Mr. Josep Borrell,met with ACP Ambassadors this afternoon at ACP House in Brussels, to reaffirm his presidency’s interest in the ACP Group and ACP-EU cooperation.

By this visit, the first of its kind by a President of the European Parliament, Mr. Borrell sought to renew that institution’s commitment to the ACP Group which, as he recalled, dates back to the 1 st Yaoundé Convention. Reiterating also that the European Parliament remained sensitive to development issues, Mr. Borrell expressed the view that the development challenge is a challenge for Europe.

The meeting provided the opportunity for a constructive exchange of views under the guidance of the Chairman of the Committee of Ambassadors, Mr. René Makongo, on issues relating to ACP-EU cooperation, with special reference to development aid, the negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), migration issues and parliamentary democracy, etc.

At the end of the discussions, declaring that he had carefully noted the ACP concerns, President Borrell expressed the European Parliament’s willingness to use its good offices to defend the ACP cause.