EU pledges EUR 160m in aid to Guinea-Bissau
(BRUSSELS) - The EU on Wednesday pledged 160 million euros in aid for Guinea-Bissau to bolster democracy and speed up economic recovery in the west African country.
It made the announcement during an international conference in Brussels in support of Guinea-Bissau attended by the country's president Jose Mario Vaz, as well as UN and EU officials.
It also came a day after the EU fully resumed cooperation with Guinea-Bissau, cut in 2011 in the wake of a military mutiny the year before.
"Today the European Union pledged 160 million euros ($175 million) for Guinea-Bissau to consolidate democracy, strengthen the rule of law, accelerate economic recovery and improve people's lives," said the European Commission, the executive of the 28-country bloc.
The pledge should be followed by another 127 million euros from the EU to promote better governance and health.
"Guinea-Bissau has achieved important progress made over the past year, starting with the peaceful and credible general elections," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement.
"We want to encourage the positive trends we see and will support the new government in rebuilding the country, strengthening its democratic institutions and moving towards stability, reconciliation and economic development."
The former Portuguese colony of 1.6 million people is one of the world's poorest countries and has seen a succession of coups since it gained independence in 1974.
The mutiny in 2010 launched a period of instability that ended with elections in April and May 2014 that were judged by the EU as "free and credible."