DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

PRESS RELEASE
Belmopan, Monday, January 19, 2015
EU Ambassador on first official visit to Belize for 2015
Head of Delegation for the European Union to Belize, Ambassador Paola Amadei is this week on her first official
visit to Belize for 2015. Ambassador Amadei will be in the country from the 19 th to the 23rd of January and the
primary focus of her visit is the inauguration of several projects which have been completed across the country
in partnership with the Government. On Monday, January 19, in the North the Ambassador will officially
inaugurate the market in Benque Viejo del Carmen. The market was opened in December to allow use by
vendors who were in need of the facilities. On Tuesday, a similar ceremony will be held for the opening of the
Belmopan Market. The markets have been constructed under the Belize Rural Development Programme
(BRDP): providing better outlets for produce will improve conditions and offer new economic opportunities
which have the objective of alleviating poverty through strengthening the economic opportunities for local
communities.
On Tuesday, also under BRDP ground will be broken for the construction of a Metrological Laboratory at the Belize
Bureau of Standards. The laboratory which is being developed with a budget of BZ$2.35 million will be key in
ensuring that the measuring standards used in the country's commercial trade meets the official international
standards. Other projects to be inaugurated in Central and South Belize on Thursday and Friday respectively is the
opening of three craft markets rehabilitated on the archaeological sites of Nim Li Punit, Labantuun and Blue Creek
and the official opening of the San Lazaro to August Pine Ridge road which was rehabilitated under the
Accompanying Measures for Sugar.
Ambassador Amadei will also use the occasion to promote 2015 as the European Year of Development under the
slogan "Our World, Our Dignity, Our Future". The year in addition to being a campaign aimed at illustrating to the
world how the EU, together with its 28 Member States, makes a crucial contribution to eradicating poverty will also
be used to emphasise that the EU is more committed than ever to its support and partnership with countries like
Belize. "The focus on people has been the backbone of EU support since the inception of its cooperation
programmes and that is what has led to us being the leading donor in development assistance across the world.
Our work in 2015 will be reflecting on what has been achieved thus far and what still needs to be done across the
world. In addition to educating our own citizens on what we have done, it is also the year when the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) reach their deadline and the world will review the progress of the eight goals which
were set in 2000. The EU believes that the international community should agree now on new, universal goals
for after 2015."
In 2014, Belize received the largest disbursement in its development cooperation with the EU to date. More than
14.35 million or BZ$36.15 million was handed over to support programmes in agriculture. poverty reduction,
infrastructure, education and human rights.
The Ambassador will depart Belize on Friday, January 23.
For more information Contact
EU Technical Support Office
3358 Floral Park Street
Belmopan
Office number: (011-501)-822-0868