The European Union (EU) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday pledged to build an annual dialogue in sport so as to promote closer cooperation.

"The IOC is a very valuable partner for the EU and establishing an annual dialogue will allow us to build on this special relationship," the EU's culture and sport commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said here on Monday in a meeting with IOC president Jacques Rogge.

Apart from agreeing to continue exchanges on an annual basis, the two discussed about organizing European week of sport, scheduled for 2015, in a bid to boost sport at all levels and encourage more Europeans into sport activities, among other issues.

Rogge also expressed confidence that the Commission could still count on the IOC's support after his successor was to be elected at the 125th IOC gathering in Buenos Aires this September.

According to the Commission, its projected new program Erasmus for All is to fund initiatives at the grassroots level of sport, with a proposed budget of nearly 240 million euros (318 million dollars) for 2014-2020.

In the past four years the EU has allocated more than 30 million euros for transnational sport projects and special annual events. Endi

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