Bulgaria Contributes EUR 50,000 to EU's Emergency Trust Fund for Africa

Bulgaria will contribute EUR 50,000 to the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, which seeks to tackle the root causes of migration.

The EUR 1.8 B fund, which was launched by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Thursday, is aimed at providing stability and addressing the root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa.

It was launched by Juncker and several European Heads of State or Government, who are participating at the international summit on migration, which is taking place in Valletta on Wednesday and Thursday.

The funding will be provided from EU financing instruments and contributions from member states and other donors.

So far, 25 member states and two non-EU donors (Switzerland and Norway) have announced a total contribution of around EUR 78.2 M, the website of the European Commission informs.

The fund steps up the EU's collective response to current challenges on the ground and is a complementary tool to the Union's already existing development cooperation in the region.

The regions that are to benefit from the fund are the Sahel region, the Lake Chad area, the Horn of Africa and the North of Africa, which together encompass the major African migration routes to Europe.

The first meeting of the Strategic Board of the fund will take place in Valletta on Thursday to ensure the swift launch of activities.

On Wednesday, Juncker and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini signed the Common Agenda for Mobility and Migration with Ethiopia.

The agenda notes the importance of Ethiopia as a key country of origin, transit and destination of irregular migrants and refugees from the Horn of Africa on their route to Europe.

The two...