EU welcome GNU progress, no lifting of sanctions yet

THE EU has welcomed the progress in the on-going talks between the three parties in the inclusive Government, but still insists the bloc is not committed to immediately lift sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.

The 27-member bloc claims it is watching developments in Zimbabwe and its position on sanctions would be reviewed in due course.

EU representative to Zimbabwe, Mr Ado Dell'Aricia, said this yesterday while addressing journalists ahead of the celebrations to mark the EU Day on May 9.

"There is a process on-going in Zimbabwe with support from the region to normalise relations in the country and these are all encouraging signals and we are hopeful that they will lead to an election acceptable to all based on standards that do not necessarily meet EU standards but are standards that have been agreed by Sadc," he said.

Mr Dell'Aricia said the removal of persons on the sanctions list was an on-going exercise and would be determined by developments in the country.

"It is a continuing process and already several people were taken away from the list, the EU is ready to review the process based on the reports we receive from Zimbabweans," Mr Dell'Aricia said.

The EU removed 35 people from the travel embargo in February this year and this followed revelations by whistleblower website that MDC-T secretary general Mr Tendai Biti was instrumental in determining the individuals that were denied entry into the bloc.

Mr Dell'Aricia said the EU hoped the three parties would make further progress in talks that were scheduled to be held in South Africa between the negotiators and the facilitation team representing Sadc-appointed mediator and South African president Mr Jacob Zuma.

The EU envoy denied that they had stalled negotiating with the Zimbabwe Government in favour of the Sadc effort.

"The Sadc senior officials visit to the EU is based on a resolution of August last year at the Sadc Summit held in Namibia.

They presented their position and the EU presented theirs," he said.

Mr Dell'Aricia said dialogue between the EU and Zimbabwe had been transferred to Harare and they were now waiting for signals from Zimbabwe's Foreign Affairs Ministry on the next dates for their meeting.

"There is political dialogue and it was transferred to Harare. We have held one meeting since the beginning of the year and we are likely to hold another one depending on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," he said.

Efforts to get a comment from the Minister of Foreign Affairs Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and the permanent secretary Mr Joey Bimha were fruitless yesterday.

The dialogue between the two parties stalled after some members of the Zimbabwean team including Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Chinamasa were denied visas to enter the EU.

Minister Chinamasa who is a member of the team was denied a visa on two occasions and was at one time detained at Frankfurt Airport in Germany on his way to attend the talks in Brussels, Belgium.

The team also includes Minister Mumbengegwi, Regional Integration and International Co-operation Minister, Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga and Energy and Power Development Minister Elton Mangoma and senior Government officials.