Speech by Commissioner Síkela at the Press Conference of Informal Meeting of Ministers of Development

Good Afternoon, 

• The world has changed. Assertiveness has become the guiding principle not only for our rivals but also for some of our allies.
• We must react, but this does not mean abandoning our values. We must protect them. The world needs more Europe - more of our fair and principled approach to international cooperation.
• As Commissioner for International Partnerships, I am responsible for the EUs Global Gateway Strategy, a key part of our external policy.
• We aim for mutually beneficial partnerships that contribute to the development of our counterparts while opening new opportunities for our companies.
• With the Global Gateway, we want to combine sustainable investments with support in education and skills transfer.
• Europe is the worlds largest provider of official development assistance, accounting for 42% of global aid.
• Our contributions improve lives globally but are not always reflected in our political and economic influence. Our cooperation has not led to meaningful economic development essential for sustainable progress.
• We must do more to strategically link our development assistance to our broader external policies. This must change. Development policy should be a key instrument that not only supports stability and development but also strengthens Europes global position.
• A crucial element of this transformation is the Team Europe approach - leveraging our collective economic strength for effective joint action.
• But Team Europe must also be built on strong national teams like Team Finland and Team Poland.
• We must collaborate with the European Investment Bank to ensure proper financing.
• Public funds alone will never be enough to support global economic development. We need to mobilize all possible sources of development finance, including the private sector.
• This was the main topic at lunch where we discussed the 4^th Financing for Development Forum in Seville.
• Ladies and gentlemen, we must adjust our development policy approach. We need to be more strategic and coordinated. And we must start now. Thanks to the Polish Presidency for organizing this Council.