The European Union has said its relations with Zimbabwe are entering a “new phase” but a power-sharing deal still needs to be fully implemented.
The comments on Sunday came after a two-day visit to Zimbabwe by EU officials - their first meeting in seven years with Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s president, viewed largely as a pariah in the West.
The EU, the largest overall aid donor to Zimbabwe, has maintained sanctions against Zimbabwe since a disputed 2002 presidential poll.
“Now we’re entering a new phase,” said Gunilla Carlsson, Sweden’s international development minister. “The political agreement was an important step forward, but much needs to be done. The key to re-engagement is the full implementation of the political agreement.”But she said that the EU’s targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe would not be lifted until human rights abuses ended.
Read the full article here.