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

PRESS NOTE

Brussels 8th  May 2006

ACP Ministers will meet, under the chairmanship of Dr Onofre ROJAS, Secretary of State, European Development Fund (EDF) National Authorising Officer of the Dominican Republic, for the 83^rf session of their Council, on 29 until 31 May 2006 in Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea).

Among the issues on the agenda of the Council are :

- presentation of the reports of the ministerial committees and consultations on Banana, Sugar (Consultative Group and LDC), Cotton and Development Finance Cooperation ;

- state of play of negotiations of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) ;

- presentation of the report of the Committee of Ambassadors on the Future of the ACP Group ;  

- state of preparations for the 5th Summit of ACP Heads of State and Government planned to be held in December 2006 in Khartoum (Sudan)

- preparations for the 31st session of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers (planned on 1st and 2^nd June 2006).

ACP Council will be preceded on 28th and 29th May 2006 by the following meetings : ministerial consultations and committee on Banana, Sugar (consultative Group and LDC), Cotton and Development Finance Cooperation.