EU welcomes intention of Zimbabwean authorities to deliver economic reforms

By Wallace Mawire [caption id="attachment_43148" align="alignleft" width="630"] President Emmerson Mnangagwa[/caption] The Council of the European Union General Secretariat of the Council has released details of council conclusions on Zimbabwe adopted by the council at its 3591st meeting held on 22 January 2018 in Brussels, Belgium. According to the council, the ongoing political transition in Zimbabwe creates high expectations among all Zimbabweans. The council says it can open the way to a full return to the Rule of Law, within a constitutional framework and under civilian rule, allowing for the preparation and implementation of much-needed political and economic reforms. The EU has therefore reaffirmed its availability to engage constructively with the new authorities including through a structured political dialogue, with political actors across the spectrum, and with civil society, on the basis of a mutual commitment to shared values focused on human rights, democratic principles and the Rule of Law. It will do so in coordination with African and international partners. According to the EU, the upcoming electoral process will be an essential step. The EU says it welcomes the commitment of the authorities to hold elections in line with the constitution, and underlines the importance that the conditions are in place to allow those elections to be peaceful, inclusive, credible and transparent. ‘The EU would consider favourably electoral observation, provided that the required conditions are fulfilled and that an invitation from the Government of Zimbabwe is received,’ according to the statement. The EU also says that it welcomes the stated intention of the Zimbabwean authorities to deliver economic reforms in Zimbabwe, aiming at supporting job creation, growth and sustainable long-term development, and reaffirms its willingness to support the planning and implementation of much-needed structural changes and the promotion of good governance. In this context, the EU says that it will support the authorities in establishing as soon as possible a constructive re-engagement with international financial institutions based on a clear and time-bound economic and political reform programme. ‘The EU stands ready to review the whole range of its policies towards Zimbabwe at any moment to take into account the progress achieved in the country,’ according to the statement.