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EU should relax sanctions on Zim - Norwegian envoy

EU should relax sanctions on Zim - Norwegian envoy
By Chibaula Silwamba
Sunday October 28, 2007 [03:00]

EUROPEAN Union (EU) should relax its sanctions on Zimbabwe, Norwegian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Per Stavnum has advised. In an interview in Lusaka on Friday night, Ambassador Stavnum said the EU should do something positive about the sanctions because there was progress on the negotiations between Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF and opposition political parties. Norway is a European country which is not a member of the EU.

“I must say we are also following the EU and I feel that something must be done about the sanctions now. I mean we have negotiations going on between the governing party and the opposition political parties and part of the solution will be that the EU can look into the sanctions,” Ambassador Stavnum said. “They will have to do something about that.”

Asked whether the EU should lift the sanctions or not on some Zimbabwean government leaders, Ambassador Stavnum said the EU should at least try to look into the positive progress in Zimbabwe.

“They have said that if there is positive progress in Zimbabwe, the EU should respond positively. We hope that the EU will respond positively to what is happening now,” he said.
Ambassador Stavnum expressed optimism that the current negotiations between the ZANU-PF, opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and others would lead to free and fair election next year.

“We feel that there is progress in the negotiations going on, and we feel they could solve the problems they currently have of the economy. That will be the most important thing for people to turn around the economy. We are optimistic about the future. We hope that they will come to some good agreements and have elections,” he observed.

Ambassador Stavnum also accused the western media of painting a bad picture of the political and economic situation in Zimbabwe, contrary to the reality on the ground.

“I think the western media are exaggerating what is happening and they are making a picture that is not right. I feel it can be moderate. They are focusing on the negative side but they should focus more on the positive side,” Ambassador Stavnum said. “The western media could help turn around the situation in Zimbabwe, if they reported on the positive side of what is happening there.”

Ambassador Stavnum added that Norway had a lot of support to institutions in Zimbabwe and provided humanitarian support.

“Norway has had an embassy in Zimbabwe since independence and we have been supporting Zimbabwe all the time and Norway is working with the UN, World Bank and others. We are giving support to the Zimbabwean people, that is our main purpose of being there and we will be there in the future,” said Ambassador Stavnum. “Our budget support is about US $12 million.”

Labels: SANCTIONS, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 5:35 AM