Within the framework of the European Union's visit to Jujuy Province on the occasion of the launch of the "Integrated Solid Waste Management Programme", the Deputy Foreign Minister, Ambassador Daniel Raimondi, held a meeting with the Director for Latin America and the Caribbean of the European Commission's General Directorate for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO-EuropeAid), Jolita Butkeviciene. The meeting was also attended by the General Director for International Cooperation, Ana Ciuti, and the Head of the European Union Delegation to Argentina, Ambassador Aude Maio Coliche.
The project will be supported through a EUR 9.7 million non-refundable financial contribution of the Latin American Investment Facility and a EUR 42 million loan from the European Investment Bank.
The programme will serve as a tool for Jujuy to provide a solution to the 180,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste that are produced every year by cleaning the open dumps. This will provide solutions to the social-economic problem affecting informal resource recoverers, who work in poor sanitary conditions. Furthermore, it promotes sustainable initiatives based on reusing, recycling and waste valorization.
The project will bring improvements in the population's health and working conditions and will create opportunities for "entrepreneurs." The transition of the population concerned from a vulnerability situation to formal employment will create benefits that will strengthen and enhance the sector. The main issue addressed at the bilateral meeting was the enhancement and strengthening of joint cooperation at the regional and international levels, and both sides reaffirmed their interest in continuing to develop initiatives within the framework of Triangular Cooperation.
Jolita Butkeviciene underscored that "this project made the European Union adopt a different view on cooperation with Argentina." She further referred to Argentina's role in the G20 and hoped that the negotiations between the European Union and MERCOSUR will successfully conclude in the near future.
Raimondi underscored that "we share the same vision of the world, which fosters the success of these initiatives, so from Argentina's standpoint, this is a cooperation opportunity that we cannot miss."
Press release No. 029/18
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