Zimbabwe and EU send mixed signals on status of dialogue
The Zimbabwe government and the European Union are sending mixed signals about the status of their dialogue on the resumption of normal relations.
While the Zimbabwe government says dialogue is set to resume soon and that both sides are working on their commitment plans, the EU is singing a different tune, blaming the Zimbabwe government for lack of progress.
The official Herald newspaper reported on Thursday that Zimbabwe Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and Regional Integration and International Co-operation Minister Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga have said in separate interviews that there has been movement towards the resumption of the talks in Harare.
However, the Swedish Embassy in Harare has claimed the talks are at a standstill, blaming the Zimbabwe government for lack of progress. Sweden is the current EU president.
“There is movement in the sense that both sides are working on their commitment plans and will soon meet to discuss issues,” Mumbengegwi said.
Misihairabwi-Mushonga said dialogue would resume “within a week’s time”.
“We instructed our officials to proceed with the engagement and they would be meeting EU ambassadors soon to restart dialogue,” she said, dismissing claims by the Swedish Embassy that the talks are at a standstill.
“There is nothing like that. We went to Brussels and launched the EU discussion. We agreed on the terms of reference. We also agreed that EU ambassadors would meet our senior officials to start dialogue.”
“Dialogue is starting soon as we gave the senior officials the political mandate to restart it,” she added.
Zimbabwe is represented in the dialogue by senior officials from the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Regional Integration and International Co-operation, Justice, Economic Planning and Investment Promotion, and Industry and Commerce.
The Zimbabwe delegation is expected to table its commitment plan in implementing the Global Political Agreement and a timeframe for thrashing out issues of concern to the EU.
Posted by Dave Fish Eagle
on August 13, 2009. Filed under Politics.
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