The European Union is boosting its development aid to the Pacific to over one billion US dollars over six years to combat climate change and poverty.
An extra 23-million US dollars to help Pacific nations cope with global warming was part of a new European Union development partnership unveiled in Auckland last night.
"The Danish Minister for Development Cooperation, Christian Friis Bach, says the partnership calls for a stronger focus on climate change as the Pacific's most pressing problem."
The impact of climate change is hitting hard in the Pacific and therefore the EU has an obligation to engage and try to mitigate and help countries to adapt. It's also a genuine attempt to help build stronger societies to combat poverty to assist people getting access to better life which they deserve and have a right to.
Christian Friis Bach says the European Union also wants to work more closely with Pacific nations on climate change and development at international level.
