EU resumes development ties with Niger

(LUXEMBOURG) - European Union foreign ministers on Monday agreed to resume development aid to Niger given the West African state's return to democracy.

EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton hailed the vast country's democratic transition following elections in March that saw then opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou clinch the presidency.

The 27-nation bloc, the world's leading donor, suspended aid in 2009 after a crisis triggered by then president Mamadou Tandja's bid to hold onto office after the end of his mandate.

The sanctions were extended after the army ousted Tandja in a coup in February 2010.

The desert nation is marked by a history of coups and poverty despite its huge uranium reserves.

3101st FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting (provisional version) - Luxembourg, 20 June 2011