U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Honorable José Valencia, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of the Republic of Ecuador. The MOU signifies the establishment of a new chapter of cooperation between USAID and the Government of Ecuador.

The MOU highlights a new partnership based on mutual respect and shared values. USAID and the Government of Ecuador intend to work together to do the following:

• Respond to, and reduce the risk posed by, natural disasters and other emergencies;
• Promote the local and productive economic development of Ecuador;
• Help the social development of Ecuadorians;
• Encourage contributions to the protection and conservation of the environment in Ecuador;
• Encourage the sustainable management of Ecuador's natural resources and renewable energy;
• Strengthen Ecuadorian public institutions, democratic governance, the fight against corruption, human rights and civil society;
• Promote education in Ecuador at all levels, including in science, technology, and innovation; and
• Contribute to strengthening the Ecuadorian system of care, integration, and protection of the rights of migrants and refugees.

With this MOU, USAID pledges to work with Ecuador on its journey to self-reliance. It offers a future of shared security and prosperity for Ecuador, for South America, and for the Hemisphere we share.

Read the full MOU here.