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On 13 May, the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) met in an extraordinary meeting where Normunds Popens, Permanent Representative of Latvia to the EU, also participated. The objective of the meeting was to assess topical issues related to the provision of aid to Burma/Myanmar in the wake of the devastating storm of 2 May.
At the meeting, EU member states and the European Commission shared information on the assistance that has been provided thus far and the assistance that is planned to be allocated. As reported previously, on 13 May the Cabinet of Ministers decided to assign EUR 20,000 (LVL 14,057) from Latvia as a donation to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which operates within the UN with the aim of relieving consequences of natural disasters.
EU member states adopted joint conclusions in which they called on the authorities of Burma/Myanmar to facilitate the supply of humanitarian aid and to allow humanitarian aid workers to participate in its distribution. The council stressed the role of the UN, the International Red Cross, and NGO's in bringing aid to the people of Burma/Myanmar.
In order to promote the supply of humanitarian aid and access for humanitarian aid workers to the affected areas, the Council welcomed the planned visit to Burma/Myanmar by Louis Michel, the Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid of the European Commission.
Along with the conclusions on Burma/Myanmar, EU member states extended condolences to China with regard to the violent earthquake, which struck south-western China on 12 May. Member states also expressed readiness to provide assistance to China.
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