German minister wants more EU aid for poorer nations

Germany said Tuesday the European Union should do "much more than it has done so far" in providing coronavirus relief aid for countries outside its borders.

German Economic Cooperation and Development Minister Gerd Mueller said the EU needed "to add an African component to the rescue umbrella that is over Europe."

Mueller was speaking at the presentation of "BMZ 2030," a structural reform of Germany's development policy, where he announced the government has already reorganised one billion euros to help other countries fight the coronavirus pandemic.

"But this program defines needs for a further three billion. We are discussing this with the finance minister," he said.

According to the Development Ministry, the BMZ 2030 strategy calls on Germany's international partners to provide measurable evidence for progress made in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Nations receiving aid must demonstrate, for example, that human rights of citizens are observed and efforts are being made to fight corruption.

In light of the new criteria, Germany is ending support for 25 nations worldwide, either because a particular country no longer needs aid or because it is resisting reform.

Mueller specifically cited Myanmar and its treatment of the Rohingya people.

In August 2017, Myanmar's military launched what it called a clearance campaign in northern Rakhine state in response to an attack by a Rohingya insurgent group.

The campaign forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh and led to accusations that security forces committed mass rapes, killings and burned thousands of homes.

Mueller said that despite calling on the government of Myanmar to allow the Rohingyas to return safely, the country has refused to comply.

"That is why I do not see any chance of us continuing bilateral development cooperation with Myanmar at this point. These funds will be reallocated," he said.

(Representative Image)