Latvia gets Development Cooperation role in new European Commission

Latvia's prime minister reports that Latvia will be responsible for one of the most significantforeign policy areas of the European Union – development cooperation.  

In a press release issued from the office of the prime minister, the new composition of the European Commission provides that Latvia will be responsible for one of the most significant foreign policy areas of the European Union – development cooperation. At the same time, Andris Piebalgs will represent the European Commission at the Foreign Affairs Council.

According to the Lisbon Treaty, this Council will be headed by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Baroness Catherine Ashton.   The objective of this policy is to provide aid to the poor and less–developed countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa with the aim to promote long–term social and economic development and contribute to poverty reduction.  

By coming into force of the Treaty of Lisbon and establishing the Foreign Affairs Service, the position of the European Union as a global player in the world is being strengthened.   The European Union is the largest donor to the developing countries. It allocates 46 billion euros per year which represent 55% of the whole global assistance.   

Valdis Dombrovskis considers that the assignment of this area of responsibility to the Latvian representative signals about the high assessment of the previous work of Andris Piebalgs by the EC President Jose Manuel Barroso. It is yet another opportunity to strengthen the reputation and visibility of Latvia at the international level. It will promote the visibility of Latvia also in those regions of the world where cooperation has not been very intensive so far.