Strengthening the Partnership Between Belize and E.U.

Marianne van Steen

Ambassador van Steen emphasized the importance of the partnership between Belize and the E.U., as well as the new program which has the potential for significant transformational potential for economic prospects in southern Belize, particularly along the border with Guatemala.

Marianne van Steen, E.U. Ambassador to Belize

“It was very important, this agreement.  It was the result of hard work and it really illustrates what a good relationship we have with Belize.  I was congratulating the prime minister and it was actually the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, we’ve been working very closely together as to how this government has been able to put Belize on the map.  So I am very happy about that and looking forward to meet the new foreign minister as well, but what I wanted to say is not just about a donor/recipient relationship anymore.  It used to be like that in the past but now we have a very comprehensive relationship with this government and with the country and with the people of Belize.  We are very proud of that because we’re not just talking about funds, grant funds and loans and assisting the country and reaching the sustainable development goals.  That is very important but we do a lot more, we dialogue about what’s happening in the world.  There’s a lot of political dialogue, we talk about trade and we talk about investments.  So I am very happy that we have such a strong relationship with this country.”