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

June 13 2008

The African, Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) Ministers underlined the importance of balanced representation at the joint ACP-EC Ministers’ Joint Meetings.  The view was expressed at the opening of the 33rd session of the joint Council that is currently underway in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The President of the ACP Council of Ministers and Minister of National Solidarity of Djibouti Mr, Mohamed Admed Awalesh, when addressing the join  Meeting said given the importance of the scope of the topics to be jointly discussed, the very presence of ACP and European Union Ministers in Addis Ababa was imperative.

He said that this was an appeal which the ACP Group had, repeated in meetings with European representatives at different times in Brussels.

“The logic of this appeal is understood; the ACP does not desire dialogue at the joint ministerial level when representatives in attendance are those who have neither the mandate to take political decisions, nor the leeway to discuss the content of the issues in detail,” Mr Awelsh said.

The joint-Meeting was opened by Ethiopian Prime Minister His Excellency Ato Meles Zenawi on Thursday in Addis Ababa.

End.

Details contact:

Robert Iroga
Attaché de Presse
African, Caribbean and Pacific Secretariat
451 Avenue Georges Henri
1200 Brussels

Tel: +32 2 743 0617
GSM: + 25 (0) 912 2008 08 (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
Fax : +32 2 735 55 73 

Email: iroga@acp.int