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Vice President signs Cotonou Agreement in Brussels

POHNPEI, Palikir (FSM Information Service): November 17, 2000 - Vice-President Redley Killion on Friday November 17, 2000 signed in Brussels, the Asia Caribbean Pacific & the European Union (ACP/EU) Agreement, also known as the Cotonou Agreement.

The Agreement provides for the FSM an opportunity to benefit from avenues of assistance offered by the European Development Fund (EDF). Under the EDF member states can benefit from both national and regional programs available.

Aside from being an economic/trade treaty, according to Foreign Affairs official, accession to the agreement enhances "FSM's ability to pursue its bilateral agenda with European countries on a multilateral scale".

Once signed, FSM will be among the 14 members of the Pacific group of ACP/EU which includes: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, PNG, RMI, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.