EU begins Zimbabwe reconciliation process
Morgan Tsvangirai's premiership has given the EU a mandate to restore relations with Zimbabwe
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Wednesday, 03, Jun 2009 11:50
By Nqobani Ndlovu.
The first step in restoring relations between the European Union and Zimbabwe begins today with a visit of a Swedish delegation.
Swedish officials, whose country currently will assume the rotating EU presidency in July, are due to assess Zimbabwe's ongoing reform process.
On the three-day visit are director general of international development and cooperation in the Swedish ministry for foreign affairs, Jan Knutsson.
Mr Knutsson will be accompanied by the head of southern Africa in the Africa department of the Swedish ministry, Pereric Hogberg.
"The visit is related to the forthcoming Swedish presidency of the EU. Zimbabwe is a high priority for the EU and for Sweden," Christina Weibull, the first secretary for political affairs in the Swedish embassy in Harare told inthenews.co.uk in an interview.
"It is a visit to assess the situation in Zimbabwe and to encourage the reform process of the transitional inclusive government."
Zimbabwean prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai and a host of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) figures are due to meet the delegation.
However, no meeting has been scheduled with president Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's ruler since independence in 1980.
President Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai formed a coalition government in February charged with reversing a decade long economic decline mirrored by hyper-inflation blamed on the former's ill-advised policies.
Western governments and donors, the EU and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have set benchmarks like political reforms and a return to the rule of law before assisting the unity government with direct financial aid.
"The EU is following Zimbabwe closely. We are hoping that we will be able to normalise relations between Zimbabwe and the EU," Ms Weibull added.
Relations between Zimbabwe and the EU soured in 2000 following policy differences, resulting in the bloc imposing sanctions.
The sanctions, against Mugabe himself and his close allies, include a ban on travel to the EU and a freeze on any assets they hold in the 15-nation bloc, as well as an arms embargo.
President Mugabe blames for the collapse of the country's once model African economy soon after the national attained independence.