The EU’s Ambassador to the Pacific, Barbara Plinkert, has completed a five-day official visit to Vanuatu during the country’s 46th anniversary of independence.
The visit ran from 27 to 31 July and was Plinkert’s fourth official trip to Vanuatu since she took up her post in September 2023, the Delegation of the European Union to the Pacific said in a release on Friday.
Plinkert held meetings in Port Vila with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Management Johnny Koanapo Rasou, and with Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and External Trade Minister Marc Ati.
She also met Infrastructure and Public Utilities Minister Xavier Emanuel Harry, and senior officials from the fisheries and agriculture ministries, including Fisheries, Oceans and Maritime Affairs Director General Samson Vilvil Fare and Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry and Biosecurity Director General Timothy Tumukon.
The EU discussed ongoing cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure, climate resilience, governance and economic development, and also raised healthcare, fisheries and maritime connectivity as areas for possible future work.
Plinkert also reiterated EU support for Vanuatu’s accession to the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Pacific States — a trade agreement framework between the parties.
EU funding cited for disaster preparedness and resilient schools
During field visits, Plinkert visited Vanuatu’s Geohazards Department to see EU-backed work on seismic monitoring, early warning systems and disaster preparedness, delivered through the Building Safety and Resilience in the Pacific Programme (BSRP II).
BSRP II support for Vanuatu was funded by the EU with €0.5 million (about 71 million vatu).
The EU is also contributing €10 million (about 1.36 billion vatu) to Vanuatu’s Climate Resilient Sheltering Schools programme, launched in response to Cyclone Lola in 2023.
A separate Pacific-wide programme, Climate Resilient Education Systems, is funded with €16 million (about 2.18 billion vatu).
Under the EU Pacific Partnership, funded with €3.3 million (about 455 million vatu), Plinkert took part in the Pacific Women’s Dialogue in Vanuatu, focused on women’s leadership and resilience in the context of climate change and gender-based violence.
She also met women vendors at Port Vila Market to discuss safe reconstruction of the market and surrounding public spaces, following an earlier EU-convened focus group with vendors.
Plinkert attended Independence Day celebrations on 30 July and met national dignitaries, government representatives and members of the diplomatic corps.
