The European Union is concerned with the situation in the Republic of Bolivia due to the situation of flooding and the continued absence of any political dialogue.

Political support: EU Presidency declaration.

The European Union calls on the parties concerned respectively to take steps to defuse the current tension and enable a genuine national dialogue to be held, without preconditions, to address concrete issues in a constructive manner. In particular, it is necessary that each of the parties respect the institutions and the rule of law.

The European Union welcomes the efforts of the Catholic Church, the Organisation of American States and the countries of the Group of Friends of Bolivia to restore political dialogue in Bolivia. The European Union is at the disposal of Bolivia's constitutional government and the opposition forces to help effect rapprochement that will enable the parties to return to the table and confidence to be restored, with a view to reaching consensual agreement on constitutional reform and departmental autonomy.

The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia align themselves with this declaration.

Economical support: €2 million in humanitarian aid for flood victims.

European Union support in Bolivia will also provide funding will be used to help 22,000 families (around 110,000 people) living in the most severely affected areas, notably in the Beni and Santa Cruz departments, which are struggling to cope with floods for the third year in succession.