The Ambassador of the European Union (EU) in Madagascar, Giovanni Di Girolamo has just completed a busy mission.
Yesterday, in front of an audience of journalists, the Ambassador held a press conference presenting an assessment of EU activities during the four years he spent in Madagascar, despite the successive crises (health crisis , drought, natural disasters, consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine).
From the outset, he related that it was in a context of electoral preparation that he took office in Madagascar, elections in which the EU was strongly committed.
Then, he listed tangible achievements made by the EU, such as the rehabilitation of national roads RN6 and RN13 financed by the European Investment Bank, sanitation of Tana, water supply and management of water, the completion of the Iarivo bypass. All these projects were made possible thanks to the 11th EDF (European Development Fund).
HE Giovanni Di Girolamo also underlined that the EU has worked with the Malagasy authorities to meet economic and health challenges such as the Covax programme. The only downside is that the fisheries agreement has not been a success, according to the EU ambassador, despite the efforts he has made in this regard.
To a question from a journalist whether he will leave the Big Island with a sense of accomplishment, he replied that: “despite the difficult conditions in which we worked, (Covid, hurricane, drought, war of Ukraine), we did everything we could”.