The outgoing Ambassador of the European Union to the Solomon Islands, His Excellency Sujiro Seampaid a visit to the Supervising Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Hon. Peter Shanel Agovaka on Thursday (8th June 2023).
The visit by the Ambassador, His Excellency Sujiro Seam to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade concluded a five days visit to the Solomon Islands by the departing E.U representative to the Pacific based in Suva, Fiji.
Minister Agovaka used the occasion to register Solomon Islands appreciation to the EU for its long-standing relationship with the Solomon Islands and as one of the country’s multilateral development partner.
He thanked the EU for its assistance throughout the years in the productive, social and environmental sectors, the Education and human resource development, Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Good Governance, Agriculture, Forestry, Rural Development and Civil Society.
“These assistances have seen human capacity enhanced through trainings and better access to quality education, with infrastructures being built in rural areas for better and comfortable living standards to name a few.
The outgoing Ambassador His Excellency Sujiro Seam was in the Solomon Islands in 2022 where he launched a number of projects which include the following:
(i) Provincial Governance and service delivery in Solomon Islands Project.
(ii) Protecting and promoting of civil, social, economic and human rights for people with disabilities in Solomon Islands project.
(iii) Central Islands Province Livelihoods Improvement Project (CLIP)
The Supervising Foreign Minister acknowledged Ambassador Sujiro’s last official visit and sincerely thanked him for his service as the EU Ambassador to Solomon Islands.
“Solomon Islands would like to acknowledge and pay tribute to the hard work and commitment you had contributed to maintaining and further enhancing the Solomon Islands-European Union relationship despite the various global challenges, including the Covid19 pandemic that have risen over the past years,” Minister Agovaka acknowledged.
The European Union has provided funding to the Solomon Islands through a number of funding arrangements which included, Provincial Governance and Service Delivery Project (UNDP/UNICEF) 8 Million Euros, Local-Provincial Governance/Climate Resilience Project (UNCDF), 6 Million Euros, Electoral Support Project (UNDP), 5.5 Million Euros, Budget Support, 7.5 Million Euros, Water and Sanitation Project (ADB/Solomon Water), 18 Million Euros and Civil Society Organizations Projects, 1.5 Million Euros.
– MFAET
