Maputo — Maputo, Apr 16 (AIM) - The European Union (EU) has pledged to disburse 20 million Euros (23 million US dollars, at the current exchange rate) to fund projects in the sectors of culture and justice in Portuguese-speaking African Countries and East Timor (PALOP-TL).

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, in Maputo, on the sidelines of the partnership's technical meeting, Paula Vazquez Horyaans, head of EU Delegation in Mozambique, said the funding is divided into 10 million Euros for culture and 12 million Euros for justice, within the framework of programmes currently being implemented with additional support from Portugal.

"There are two projects underway, in the areas of culture and justice, each with a significant contribution from the European Union. The projects result from consensual decisions between the States', she said.

She explained that new areas of cooperation may be considered in the future. "Countries have expressed interest in funding for the education sector. The European Union is open to dialogue for future collaborations', she said.

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The technical meeting aims to evaluate the performance of ongoing projects, ensure the follow-up of the decisions taken, and prepare for the next ministerial meeting of the partnership.

For his part, Mário Nguenha, representative of the Mozambique cooperation delegation, the meeting follows the ministerial meeting held in Dili. "Following the decisions made by the ministers, the technical group is meeting to monitor implementation and prepare for the next cooperation cycle,' he explained.

Nguenha indicated that, over approximately 30 years, the EU-PALOP-TL partnership has already mobilized around 120 million Euros, applied to the sectors of justice, economic governance, and culture.

"The European Union is a fundamental partner. We cannot move forward without this cooperation', he said.