The Madagascar transitional government and the European Union (EU) agreed to hold dialogues next Tuesday at the EU headquarters in Brussels on the political crisis in the Indian Ocean island country.

The high transitional authority (HTA) led former Antananarivo mayor Andry Rajoelina held a meeting here on Thursday to prepare for defending its actions, which led to the prolonged political crisis in Madagascar since last December and the overthrow of former president Marc Ravalomanana last March.

The meeting, chaired by HTA President Rajoelina, discussed priorities in the agenda and documents prepared for the dialogues, local media reported on Friday.

Rajoelina said "We're going to Brussels to defend the case of Madagascar".

Rajoelina, backed by the armed forces and anti-Ravalomanana political factions, replaced Ravalomanana as president of the country on March 21, four days after the resignation of his predecessor.

Condemning the power change in Madagascar as unconstitutional and a coup, the international community including the EU, suspended assistance to the country while urging for a peaceful solution to the political crisis through talks between all political factions.

The HTA has argued that what it has been doing was for the realization of a true democracy and a better political system, which could not be dictated by a president like Ravalomanana.

The transitional government led by Prime Minister Monja Roindefo had worked out all documents on activities of every ministry, according to L'Express, a French-language daily, published here on Friday.

Hot debate is expected during the dialogues between the HTA and the EU on the legality of the transitional authority and political development in Madagascar, one of the poorest countries in the world.

The EU will access Madagascan political development under the framework of Cotonou Agreement, a treaty signed between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states in June 2000 in Cotonou, the largest city in Benin.

The EU will evaluate whether the Madagascan transitional authority has violated the eighth article on peace, security, stability, democracy and human right protection of the treaty.

The outcome of the dialogues will have effect on EU future aid to Madagascar, 577 million euros (808 million U.S. dollars) between 2007 and 2012 under original arrangement.

Source: Xinhua