Press Release: South Sudan: Commission welcomes the Council’s decision to provide €200 million to support a sustainable and peaceful creation of the new state

EU Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, welcomes the decision of the EU foreign affairs ministers to allocate €200 million to South Sudan. This follows the proposal of the European Commission, announced by EU Commissioner Piebalgs during his visit in Juba on 13 May 2011. These funds will support the implementation of the Government of South Sudan's forthcoming "2011-13 Development Plan". They could be used for projects related to education, health, agriculture, food security and democratic governance. South Sudan will formally declare its independence on 9 July 2011, as a result of the referendum held in January 2011, part of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement.