European Union top diplomat Javier Solana talked with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice by phone on Thursday, urging parties in Kenya to work together to form a government, a spokeswoman for Solana said.
"They agreed the focus is on jointly encouraging the parties in Kenya to engage in dialogue and their dialogue must aim at halting the current destabilization, stopping the violence and on setting up a government," she said.
"It is up to the parties in Kenya to decide on the government they form," the spokeswoman said, adding "The important thing is that we are encouraging them to enter into dialogue."
The EU said initially that Solana and Rice had agreed on the need to encourage the parties to form a coalition government, but it later clarified that the establishment of the future government would be in the hands of the Kenyans.
The re-election of Mwai Kibaki, who was sworn in as president on Sunday, sparked a week of tribal and political violence in Kenya, leaving more than 300 people killed.
Kenya's major opposition party, led by Raila Odinga, claimed irregularities in the vote count of last week's presidential election.
Solana and Rice also discussed the possibility of sending EU and U.S. envoys to Kenya to persuade Kibaki and Odinga to enter talks, the spokeswoman noted, adding that they agreed to keep in close touch on the matter.
Solana was deeply concerned at the situation in Kenya, the spokeswoman said.
Source: Xinhua
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