Mr Potosi dont you think this shortlived victory for Zimbabwe was because the real hot dog the US was and is not part of this meet?.Many times like you well know the US has arm twistedmany nations/countries to side with their point of view albeit the said countries know the US position is not right but then the Carrot and stick politics of economic aid/AIDS is thrown around to get compliance. Let's hope this is not to be. Thanks. Kipenji. ====================================================== --- Mitayo Potosi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >
> 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. > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > "Ivinicus factus sum veritabem diceus." ( I have > become an enemy for > speaking the truth ) St Paul! > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Mitayo Potosi > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection > with MSN 8. > http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts http://uk.my.yahoo.com
