cooperation at the heart of discussions
Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, and Minister of the Economy, Minister of Cooperation and Humanitarian Action, Franz Fayot, paid an official visit to the Republic of Niger on Sunday and Monday.
In Niamey, Xavier Bettel and Franz Fayot were received in audience by the Nigerien President, Mohamed Bazoum. Niger is a priority country for Luxembourg’s foreign policy, and has been for more than 30 years. Luxembourg’s action in Niger is today the flagship example of its “3D” policy – combining the tools of diplomacy, development and defence.
Luxembourg and Niger are also diversifying their relations. Leaders of major Luxembourg companies operating in the telecommunications and health sectors made a point of accompanying the ministers during this trip to Niger.
Niger, an important partner for Luxembourg
President Bazoum underlined the importance of Luxembourg’s activities in Niger in terms of development aid in the priority sectors, which are national education, the vital water and sanitation sector, training and the integration of young people and the empowerment of young adolescents.
The President also thanked Luxembourg for its immediate support in the context of the food emergency, in its assistance in the procedures for the return of internally displaced persons, but also in the field of health with extraordinary support during the health crisis. related to the covid-19 pandemic. Xavier Bettel underlined that Niger remains an important partner for Luxembourg, which translates into the fact that the new cooperation program is the largest of the Luxembourg Cooperation, approaching 145 million euros for the period 2022 -2026.
Field visits
The second day of the visit was devoted to a field visit allowing Ministers Bettel and Fayot to observe the achievements of development cooperation policy and humanitarian action in Niger. Accompanied by the Prime Minister of Niger, Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, the ministers traveled to Ouallam to visit a regrouping center hosting a total of 1,950 displaced, returnee, refugee and host households. The project is set up and supported by the International Aid of the Luxembourg Red Cross, the Niger Red Cross and the Danish Red Cross and aims to improve the humanitarian housing conditions of the most vulnerable populations affected by conflicts. armed forces and natural disasters, including by providing shelter, latrines and hygiene kits.
Solar panels as a source of energy
Xavier Bettel and Franz Fayot then went to the village of Simiri to visit a drinking water distribution system. This project was implemented by the Ministry of Hydraulics and Sanitation of Niger through the common financing mechanism, an innovative financial instrument set up at the instigation of Luxembourg, which assumed the lead role in the water and sanitation sector in Niger from 2016 to 2022. This mechanism has, among other things, enabled the installation of solar panels as a source of energy as well as the installation of a more powerful pump in order to increase production and access to drinking water in the municipality. Tuesday, Franz Fayot and Xavier Bettel were in Rwanda.