Tuesday, 26 November 2002
ACP-EU talks fail
Herald Reporter
ZIMBABWE scored a major diplomatic victory in Belgium yesterday when the joint
African, Caribbean and Pacific-European Union parliamentary session collapsed
after the ACP group resisted attempts by the EU to bar two Zimbabwean ministers
from attending the session.
Representatives of the ACP group walked out of the session on economic
co-operation in protest against the EU’s decision to bar the Minister of
State for State Enterprises and Parastatals Cde Paul Mangwana and the deputy
Minister of Finance and Economic Development Cde Chris Kuruneri from entering
the EU parliament where the meeting was scheduled to take place.
The two ministers are subject to a travel ban, which the EU imposed earlier this
year on Government and Zanu-PF officials.
ACP countries resolutely maintained their position that the two Zimbabwean
representatives should be allowed access to the EU parliamentary premises.
Speaking from Brussels yesterday, Cde Mangwana said a meeting by the ACP-EU
bureau yesterday morning failed to agree on the issue of the two ministers
leading to the collapse of the joint parliamentary session.
"This is a victory for Zimbabwe especially when you have 73 out of 93 countries
supporting you.
"Even though there have been threats of withdrawal of aid, Third World and
African countries have stood with Zimbabwe for the sake of African integrity and
pride," said Cde Mangwana.
He said the cancellation of the meeting was a test case to the EU not to treat
developing nations with contempt.
Cde Mangwana said among the countries that were vocal in supporting Zimbabwe was
Namibia, represented by former secretary-general of the Southern African
Development Community, Mr Kaire Mbuende.
Mr Hegel Goutier, the Haitian-born ACP spokesperson, said: "The attitude of the
European parliament was unacceptable."
South Africa’s speaker of the national assembly Ms Frene Ginwala
criticised the decision taken by the EU parliament to bar the two ministers.
Ms Ginwala was quoted in the Sunday Independent of South Africa saying the
deadlock in Brussels was not about Zimbabwe but the principle of the European
parliamentary delegation deciding unilaterally about the attendance of certain
members when decisions should be taken jointly by the ACP-EU assembly.
She said there were no provisions in the joint assembly’s rules to exclude
anyone.
"It’s normal international practice that if you are hosting an
international gathering of this kind you cannot cherry-pick who you want to be
there," she said.
"Next they will want to exclude Iraq from attending international gatherings."
Minister Mangwana said it had since emerged that even the EU parliamentary group
was itself not united in its position to bar the two ministers. The minister
said Belgium had circulated a document explaining the reasons for issuing out
visas to the two Zimbabweans.
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"Ivinicus factus sum veritabem diceus." ( I have become an enemy for speaking the truth ) St Paul!
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Mitayo Potosi
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- Re: ugnet_: ZIMBABWE scores a major diplomatic victory Mitayo Potosi
