BELGIUM: Zimbabwe sanctions on hold following power sharing agreement, EU's Solana said

Record ID: 785062

  • Title: BELGIUM: Zimbabwe sanctions on hold following power sharing agreement, EU's Solana said
  • Date: 15th September 2008
  • Summary: (W2) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (SEPTEMBER 15, 2008) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF EUROPEAN COUNCIL WHERE EUROPEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS ARE MEETING EU FLAGS EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JAVIER SOLANA TALKING TO REPORTERS THEN LEAVING (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAVIER SOLANA, EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF, SAYING: ''The sanctions for the moment will not be changed today. The decision will probably be taken in October.'' CAMERAMEN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAVIER SOLANA, EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF, SAYING: ''We think that it opens a new page probably and we would like very much to help that development. But we will take all the final decisions at the beginning of October, in the next Euro, European Union affairs council, when the situation will be more clear. But the message today to the people of Zimbabwe is of hope, and our readiness if everything goes ok to get committed economically and supporting the future of Zimbabwe.'' CZECH REPUBLIC MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS KAREL SCHWARZENBERG ARRIVING CYPRUS MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MARKOS KYPRIANOU ARRIVING BELGIUM MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS KAREL DE GUCHT ARRIVING
  • Embargoed: 30th September 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: International Relations,European Union
  • Reuters ID: LVA4TX6261R5IRYWPL0K84XMEYHZ
  • Story Text: As Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and longtime rival Morgan Tsvangirai were set to sign a power-sharing deal, the European Union said it has put decision to extend sanctions against Zimbabwe on hold.
    The European Union has put a decision to extend sanctions against Zimbabwe on hold following a power-sharing agreement in the African state, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Monday (September 15).

    "The sanctions for the moment will not be changed today. The decision will probably be taken in October," he told reporters before a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
    Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and longtime rival Morgan Tsvangirai agreed last week a pact to end a deep political crisis compounded by the veteran leader's disputed, unopposed re-election in June.
    Solana said the EU needed to study the details of the deal but he expected it to open "a new page" for the country.
    Existing EU sanctions on Zimbabwe include an arms embargo, visa bans and asset freezes on 168 senior officials including Mugabe, as well as a few companies. The bloc has also frozen development aid but still provides humanitarian aid.
    Analysts say the power-sharing deal is fragile and will require former enemies to put aside their differences and work closely to overcome scepticism, especially from Western powers whose financial support will be vital for recovery.
    Solana said the EU wanted to help the Zimbabwean people.
    ''The message today to the people of Zimbabwe is of hope, and our readiness if everything goes ok to get committed economically and supporting the future of Zimbabwe,'' Solana said.
    Before last week's power-sharing deal, the EU had planned to add on Monday more names to a list of Zimbabwean officials whose assets are frozen and who are banned from travelling to Europe.
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