Fuente: © European Union
http://europa.eu.int

EU: Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner to visit Ecuador on 10-12 May

/noticias.info/ Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European Commission for External Relations and Neighbourhood Policy, will make her first official visit to Ecuador on 10 and 12 May. During her visit she will meet the Ecuadorian President, the Minister of External Relations, the President of the Constitutional Assembly and representatives from the business world to discuss EU-Ecuador relations, the situation of the region and the negotiations under way for an Association Agreement between the EU and the Andean Community of which Ecuador forms part. This visit will take place only weeks after the 3rd round of negotiations for an EU-Andean Community Association Agreement held in Quito, and on the eve of the meeting to be held between the EU Heads of State and Government and the Latin American and Caribbean countries in Lima on 16-17 May.

Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner said before her visit, “This visit to Ecuador is of particular interest for me since it comes at a time when the country is undergoing a process of historically important reforms which is crucial for its future. We support institutional reform processes which strengthen democracy and the rule of law." She added, "I sincerely thank President Correa for his invitation, which will enable me to see at first hand this important process undertaken by Ecuador".

On Sunday 10 May the Commissioner will meet the Ecuadorian President, Rafael Correa, and the Minister of External Relations, Maria Isabel Salvador, in Quito. On 12 May she will meet Alberto Acosta, the President of the Ecuadorian Constitutional Assembly, and will take part in the celebrations to mark Europe Day (9 May) at the European Commission's Delegation in Quito.

Background

Relations between the EU and Ecuador come under the Framework Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the Andean Community which came into force in 1998 and the political dialogue between the two regions which was institutionalised in the 1996 Rome Declaration.

With regard to cooperation, the EU is Ecuador's biggest donor, with an initial allocation of €137 million for 2007-2013. The priorities of this cooperation are to step up social investment, particularly in education (54% of the total aid) and support to access of the SMEs market (46% of the aid).

More information on EU-Ecuador relations can be found at:
http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/ecuador/index_en.htm notas_de_prensa_archivo