At a momentous occasion held at the Country Lodge Conference Centre Hill Station on Tuesday 16th April,2024, Representatives of the European Union including the German Ambassador to SierraLeone, Jens Kraus Masse, Irish Ambassador to SierraLeone, Aidan Fitzpatrick, the Head of the EU delegation to Sierra Leone, Alexander Manuel Muller, disclosed about the EU Programmes and activities which are tailored to accelerating transformative change in the country.
The EU/Sierra Leone cooperation programmes include but not limited to: Nature nourishes(2024-2029, 90 M Euro) resilience building budget support programme, which shall include decentralized investments in communities in proximity of protected areas in exchange for environmental protection; preservation and conservation of biodiversity, sustainable food and value chains, Spotlight initiative to fight sexual and Gender based Violence, democracy, peace and social cohesion, governance programme, decentralization programme, Technical Assistance for public Finance Management, business climate and competitiveness, boosting agriculture and Food Security, jobs and growth, support To Education, Transformational Energy access, 47KM of roads(East of Moyamba and West of Mabang and 4 Major bridges and many more.
In his submission, the EU Head of Delegation to SierraLeone, Alexander Manuel Muller, asserted that EU/Sierra Leone have built a strong partnership based on shared values. “EU has been a longstanding partner with SierraLeone, supporting the country’s efforts in the last two decades, since the end of the war, to build and consolidate peace, stability, security, democracy, governance, human rights, fundamental freedoms, gender equality, inclusive economic growth, and sustainable development”.
He went on to state that “the last EU-SierraLeone political dialogue held on 17 October, 2023, chaired by President Bio with the participation of the Vice President, the Chief Minister and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Planning, Finance, justice, and Environment, showed a strong commitment of the EU and Sierra Leone to their partnership and allowed for an intense and constructive dialogue”.
During the last years, he said, EU has been supporting SierraLeone’s efforts for development in different areas, like Education, agriculture or infrastructure, with a positive impact, delivering benefits for the SierraLeone people. “Today and looking to the future, we continue to promote people-centred interventions, contributing to creating better conditions and opportunities for the people in the country, generating jobs and income that are sustainable”.
The Ambassador highlighted the various projects championed by EU in SierraLeone and pledges their continued support towards the implementation of the Government National Development plan and its big 5 agenda.
The Irish Ambassador, Aidan Fitzpatrick and the German Ambassador, Jens Kraus Masse expressed similar sentiments and pledged their commitment to continuing supporting SierraLeone’s for transformative change.
