The European Union (EU) has not promised to lift sanctions imposed upon Zimbabwe; it only commits itself to engaging with Zimbabwe till its power-sharing agreement is carried out in an all-round way. The EU completed its first high-level visit to Zimbabwe on Sunday, Sept. 13, and it promised to provide additional 90 million euros in aid to Zimbabwe this year.
The delegation, led by EU Aid Commissioner Karel de Gucht and Gunilla Carlson, Swedish minister of International Development and Cooperation, ended its two-day trip to Zimbabwe on Sunday. It is the top ranked EU delegation so far sent to Zimbabwe in the past seven years since 2002. President Robert Mugabe welcomed the delegation from EU last Friday, and voiced the hope that bilateral talks were quite successful. During its visit, the EU delegation met with President Robert Mugabe and also conferred with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in Bulawayo, the country's second largest city, later on Sunday, Sept. 13.
After his talks with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai last Saturday, EU Aid Commissioner Karel de Gucht said the EU hoped that the Zimbabwean coalition government would be successful and that it would find a better way to help Zimbabwe. EU-Zimbabwe ties have entered into a new phase, said Swedish Minister Gunilla Carlson, and the all-round bilateral cooperation would witness how the power-sharing agreement would be implemented.
Zimbabwean Prime Minister Tsvangirai made a tour of eight European and American nations in June this year and began the process of formal direct talks with the EU. Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country hold the EU presidency, noted in South Africa last Friday, September 11 that the EU would know the real situation in Zimbabwe but he said the visit was not in preparation for the lifting of sanctions against Harare.
After the founding of Zimbabwe's coalition government in February this year, President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Tsangirai and other Zimbabwean officials appealed repeatedly for lifting sanctions against Zimbabwe. The South African Development Community (SADC) summit held on Sept. 7-8 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) acknowledged that progress was scored during the summit meeting and the global community urged to maintain existing sanctions in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai addressed supporters at a rally in Bulawayo, the second largest city on September 13. The rally was held to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his Party's founding.
Since the formation of the transitional power-sharing government, a range of measures have been taken in Zimbabwe for seeking economic recovery and reconstruction, including the launch of a new economic recovery plan prepared by the inclusive government. These measures have, among others, have helped to lower inflation and non-fuel commodity prices.
Zimbabwean economy was expected to grow by 3.7 percent for 2009, according to World Bank senior economist Halsey Rogers, as an indication of an end to a slide for more than 10 years. The nation's commodity prices were down 10.3 percentage points from January to May this year. Meanwhile, enterprises started to resume operation in Zimbabwe, and this could possibly enlarge employment for the country.
The objective or purpose of the high-level EU delegation in traveling around Zimbabwe was to make a field study of both political and economic situations in the country and, on this basis, to make judgment on whether or not to lift sanctions in a hope to resume or restart aid to the country.
Below are some of the details of sanctions and restriction in place in Zimbabwe. It would, among others, seek to freeze assets of 17 Zimbabwean firms or enterprises. The U.S. also threatened to impose new sanctions against President Robert Mugabe. The European Union imposed a visa ban on Mugabe and 19 top officials in 2002 because of Zimbabwe's treatment of observers sent to monitor the president elections.
"I think we should acknowledge that there is progress being made here," said EU Aid Commissioner Karel de Gucht. Nevertheless, there are still some suspending issues facing the country, he added. The EU is not prepared to lift sanctions against the Zimbabowe as long as there is no real substantial improvement in the country's political and economic situation.
By People's Daily Online and contributed by PD resident reporter in Johannesburg Pei Guangjiang
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article