Brussels, 19 October 2017/ ACP: The regime that manages the EU sugar market changed from 1^st October 2017 with the removal of domestic quotas.  Sugar suppliers to the EU under  Economic Partnership Agreement and the Everything But Arms (EBA) Initiative, comprised mostly of small and vulnerable economies, had strongly opposed the abolition of EU domestic sugar quotas when it was first mooted in 2013.   

- Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana

-  Distinguished Honourable Ministers

-  Our Special Guests  Ambassador Roberto Azevedo, Director General of the WTO; and Ambassador Susana MALCORRA, Former Foreign Minister of Argentina and Chairperson of the Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference

-  Permanent Secretaries and Directors-General of Ministries responsible for Trade matters

Brussels, 16 October 2017/ ACP: The Secretary General of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States H.E. Dr. Patrick I. Gomes met with the President of the Togolese Republic H.E. Mr. Faure Gnassingbé on Monday 16^th October, to lay the groundwork for preparations towards the forthcoming 107^th session of the ACP Council of Ministers and 43^rd session of the ACP-EU Joint Council.

Brussels, 5 October 2017/ ACP: Nigerian authorities conveyed their full support and solidarity with the ACP Group of States in preparations for negotiations for an ACP-EU post-2020 partnership agreement, during an outreach mission to one of the ACP’s largest member states in West Africa.

In particular, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria H.E. Yemi Osinbajo urged fellow ACP member states to remain united in their cause, and indicated his support for the establishment of an ACP Endowment Fund, which would assist in the development agendas of ACP countries.