Maputo, 29 May (AIM) – The European Union (EU) has pledged to disburse 35 million Euros (37.9 million dollars, at the current exchange rate) to support the conservation of the maritime environment in Mozambique.
According to the EU Climate Change Counselor in Mozambique, Riccardo Rossi, who made the announcement, in Maputo, on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) course on Risk Assessment, in order to implement the programme, the EU is working in coordination with the Ministry of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries.
“We are ready to launch a specific programme in collaboration with the Ministry for the blue economy. We also want to increase investment in Mozambique by European companies and, above all, the conservation of the marine environment and its sustainability”, he said.
Rossi said that the EU and the Mozambican government have already agreed to work together in order to implement the project.
“Possibly before the end of the year, implementation will begin. Our interest is in the partnership with the government, with the global agenda that has a great interest in the sustainability of marine resources, within the climate agenda”, he said.
Rossi added that the EU is committed to the maintenance of fishing resources, their sustainability for future generations and the well-being of the economic operators.
“We know that there are also European economic operators working in the waters of Mozambique and the region. It is, therefore, in our common interest to keep this resource sustainable”, he said.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established by the United Nations, recognize the critical importance of the oceans for human well-being, food security, the global economy and the health of the planet as a whole.
In this case, the UN emphasizes the urgent need for all countries to protect the oceans and marine resources, given their vital role in regulating the climate, producing oxygen, absorbing carbon and maintaining biodiversity.
(AIM)
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