News / International
Zimbabwe, Britain agree on bilateral engagements
27 Mar 2013 at 19:38hrs | Views
The meeting between Zimbabwe's re-engagement committee and Britain together with her allies ended in London with parties agreeing to turn a new leaf on relations through bilateral engagements on the land issue and other matters between Harare and London.
In an interview with the state media on the delegation's re-engagement meeting, Justice and Legal Affairs Minister, Patrick Chinamasa explained that the team examined various issues including non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which are working as agents of regime change in Zimbabwe, the issue of western electoral observers whose countries have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe and the issue of the sanctions.
He said the Zimbabwean delegation spoke with one voice that the sanctions should go as they are illegal and that they were not supposed to be imposed in the first place.
"Zimbabwe will not allow countries that have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe to come and observe elections in the country as they will not be objective," Chinamasa said in a communique at the end of the meeting.
The Zimbabwean delegation also said in no uncertain terms should those countries that have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe observe the country's elections.
Minister Chinamasa said: "Zanu PF does not agree with the whole notion of security sector reform whose main objective is to weaken the effectiveness and efficiency of the security forces with the aim of effecting regime change."
The delegation called on the western countries to channel their funding to Zimbabwe through government and stop supporting NGOs working for regime-change and distorting information.
Chinamasa said the Zimbabwean delegation re-affirmed its commitment to work with the SADC facilitation team as long as they play the role of facilitator and not supervisor of the Zimbabwean government.
He said the Undersecretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mark Simmonds made it clear that the problem that led to the souring of ties between Zimbabwe and the European countries is a bilateral dispute.
In an interview with the state media on the delegation's re-engagement meeting, Justice and Legal Affairs Minister, Patrick Chinamasa explained that the team examined various issues including non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which are working as agents of regime change in Zimbabwe, the issue of western electoral observers whose countries have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe and the issue of the sanctions.
He said the Zimbabwean delegation spoke with one voice that the sanctions should go as they are illegal and that they were not supposed to be imposed in the first place.
"Zimbabwe will not allow countries that have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe to come and observe elections in the country as they will not be objective," Chinamasa said in a communique at the end of the meeting.
Minister Chinamasa said: "Zanu PF does not agree with the whole notion of security sector reform whose main objective is to weaken the effectiveness and efficiency of the security forces with the aim of effecting regime change."
The delegation called on the western countries to channel their funding to Zimbabwe through government and stop supporting NGOs working for regime-change and distorting information.
Chinamasa said the Zimbabwean delegation re-affirmed its commitment to work with the SADC facilitation team as long as they play the role of facilitator and not supervisor of the Zimbabwean government.
He said the Undersecretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mark Simmonds made it clear that the problem that led to the souring of ties between Zimbabwe and the European countries is a bilateral dispute.
Source - zbc
