Canada to maintain sanctions on Zimbabwe

OTTAWA - Canada isn't quite ready to ease sanctions against Zimbabwe, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird told visiting Finance minister Tendai Biti on Wednesday.

Baird made that clear during his private meeting with Biti, said his spokesman, Rick Roth.

"We are continuously reviewing our sanctions regime," Roth said in an email.

"The minister will certainly consider what he heard and make decisions in due course."

The visitor offered Baird an update on financial and economic reforms in Zimbabwe.

"The two spoke about recent reforms in Zimbabwe, progress made and challenges that remain," Roth said.

The meeting gave Baird a chance to express Canadian views on the need for continued political reform in Zimbabwe, including a referendum on a new constitution, free and fair elections, and the respect for human rights.

Roth said Biti has a strong record on human rights and of pushing for governance reform.

In 2008, Canada imposed a number of sanctions on Zimbabwe, including a ban on the export of arms or arms-related technical assistance. It also froze the assets of a number of senior government officials, including President Robert Mugabe.