EU Statement – Annual Ministerial Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Least Developed Countries

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Excellencies, Distinguished Ministers, Colleagues,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

We thank the Chair of the Group of Least Developed Countries for convening this timely meeting. The Doha Programme of Action remains the central framework for addressing the structural vulnerabilities of LDCs. Yet progress is too slow. Conflict, climate change, food insecurity, debt pressures and economic uncertainty continue to erode hard-won development gains.

The theme of today’s meeting, “From Commitments to Impact”, is therefore highly relevant. The 2027 midterm-term review will need to identify implementation gaps and translate commitments into concrete, measurable results.

The European Union and its Member States remain steadfast partners of LDCs. 36 LDCs are parties to the Samoa Agreement, the partnership between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific States. This provides a joint framework for advancing LDC priorities and tackling poverty. Between 2021-2024, Team Europe provided EUR 67.1 billion in Official Development Assistance to LDCs.

Lasting impact requires far more than just financing. It calls for country ownership, effective institutions, partnerships that attract investments and connect them with skills, capacity, and long-term development priorities. ODA can play a significant role, for the most lagging countries and those affected by fragility, but it must be used effectively and mobilized with additional blended-finance   instruments, such as private financing for development, in particular risk mitigation tools, such as guarantees. This involves safeguarding essential services in humanitarian contexts, as well as strengthening institutions and good governance to mobilise sustainable investment and build long-term resilience. 

This approach also underpins Global Gateway, the EU’s investment strategy and partnership offer.

Through Global Gateway, Team Europe supports high-quality and sustainable investment aligned with national priorities. For LDCs, this means closing infrastructure gaps, strengthening regional integration, expanding access to energy and digital services, developing skills, creating decent jobs and ensuring no one is left behind by fostering inclusive growth.

Concrete initiatives are already delivering. The Lobito Corridor is improving connectivity and market access for Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia. Regional energy projects, such as Ruzizi III (involving Burundi, DRC and Rwanda) and the Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya Interconnector, support reliable electricity and regional energy trade. Digital investments in countries such as Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia and Tanzania are expanding access to services and economic opportunities. 

The EU is also working on addressing the energy connectivity gap in South Asia including Bangladesh and Nepal by increasing Cross Border Electricity Trade (CBET), improving policy framework and investment conditions, integrating larger shares of renewable energy in the South Asia's energy mix. In the Pacific, the EU is bringing electricity from renewable sources to isolated communities across Pacific countries including Kiribati and Solomon Islands.

These investments support the objectives of the Doha Programme of Action by building productive capacities, resilience and participation in regional and global markets. They reflect a European approach based on transparency, sustainability, high standards and local value addition.

The EU and its Member States will continue to listen to, engage with and work with LDCs towards an ambitious and action-oriented outcome in Doha.

Thank you.