Luxembourg Minister of Cooperation and Humanitarian Action Romain Schneider was in El Salvador and Nicaragua this week, moving forward relations between Luxembourg and both countries.
In El Salvador, Minister Romain Schneider co-chaired with the Deputy Minister for Development Cooperation, Jaime Miranda, the First Commission for Bilateral Dialogue.
This was the first such commission with El Salvador, a middle-income country, which now has the status of project country for the Luxembourg Cooperation. To this end, a modification of the General Cooperation Agreement has been signed, which forms the basis for a new phase in cooperation between the two countries.
Luxembourg provides financial and technical support to three funds implemented by the Salvadorian side in support of the National Plan for Development, Social Protection and Social Inclusion, as well as the Programme for Strengthening South-South Cooperation and the Civil Society Strengthening Programme.
In the margins of the Commission, Minister Romain Schneider held a political dialogue with Hugo Martínez Bonilla, Minister of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador. He reiterated the importance of Luxembourg's cooperation in El Salvador and, in recognition of the Salvadoran people, awarded the medal to the rank of Commander José Matías Delgado to Minister Romain Schneider.
The Minister was then received by the President of the Republic of El Salvador, Sánchez Cerén to discuss topics of common interest.
In Nicaragua, the XII Partnership Committee was co-chaired by Minister Schneider and Vice-Minister of Cooperation Arlette Marenco. The Commission reviewed the various projects currently under way in the health, vocational training and tourism sectors, as well as in the fields of cooperation with the private sector and society civil. The two co-chairs signed budget extensions and increases for projects in the health and vocational training sectors, as well as a new project in the tourism sector.
The Commission also kicked off the launch of the identification of the next Indicative Cooperation Program (CIP), which will be placed in continuity at the sector level but modernised on the basis of the Sustainable Development Goals and Of the Addis Ababa Action Plan.
Romain Schneider finally met with Nicaragua's Minister of External Relations, Denis Moncada. During the meeting, ministers discussed the general situation in the region and it was agreed to explore possible collaboration with the Organisation of American States, which works with the countries of the region on the themes of Democracy, human rights, security and development.
Image: Romain Schneider, and to his right Arlette Marenco in Nicaragua.
