A meeting of the joint council of ministers of the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of countries opens in Vanuatu today.
The meeting, which will be attended by more than 300 delegates, will discuss trade and development issues.
Megan Whelan is in Port Vila,
"High on the agenda for the countries from the Pacific will be furthering negotiations towards an Economic Partnership Agreement, which is to replace current trade arrangements. Ministers will also discuss migration, sustainable energy, and work towards a possible joint declaration for the UN Rio +20 conference on sustainable development being held later this month. Pacific countries will be hoping to gain increased budget support, despite the current financial problems within the Eurozone. A joint ACP/EU fact-finding mission to Fiji, to look at the progress towards elections in 2014 will also be discussed."
