The annual meeting under the Framework Cooperation Agreement between the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Council of Europe took place in Strasbourg on 16-17 January 2017. The delegation was headed by Ms Mirja Peterson, Head of the Division for Environment, Market Development and Eastern Europe.

The Council of Europe and SIDA signed a Framework Cooperation Agreement on 16 July 2015 which provides for a financial contribution of approximately €5.3 million for the period 2015-17 in support of country action plans and co-operation documents in the six countries of the Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus). Initial funding was focussed on support to the Ukraine Action Plan (€4 million), and has now been extended to the action plans for Armenia and Georgia (€400,000 for each action plan).

This Agreement with SIDA is a multiannual framework agreement, with predictable resources which enable better programming and implementation, and therefore results.