The ministers held a discussion in Brussels on EU-US relations in the field of development cooperation, which have recently gained momentum. The Administrator of the American Agency for International Development Cooperation (USAID), Samantha Power, was a guest at the meeting. The discussion provided an opportunity to exchange information on priorities and to develop a common agenda in addressing global and regional challenges.

The ministers went on to discuss water in the EU’s external action, which is the main priority of the Slovenian Presidency in the field of development cooperation. The talks concentrated mainly on Central Asia and on individual intertwining challenges in the region, such as water scarcity and climate change. They confirmed the conclusions on water in the EU’s external action and the conclusions on the European public sector expertise in the EU’s external action. “The conclusions on water in the EU's external action represent an important milestone in meeting the EU’s water diplomacy targets and in making progress under the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” emphasised State Secretary Raščan.

“I am pleased that the conclusions on water have been endorsed during the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, as Slovenia made an important contribution to their completion and sought their adoption within the framework of its EU Council Presidency priorities,” added State Secretary Raščan.

The European Commission also briefed the participants on the state of play in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, with an emphasis on vaccine sharing.

The adopted conclusions can be found on the Council of the European Union.