BELGIUM: EU foreign ministers express concern over Pakistan, agree to send ''tough'' message to Zimbabwe President, discuss Kosovo

EU foreign ministers expressed deep concerns on Monday (November 19) over the situation in Pakistan and called for the immediate lifting of the state of emergency. ''We are very deeply concerned with the declaration of the state of emergency which has not been lifted yet and also the suspension of Pakistan's constitution and the fundamental liberties as they have been announced by president Musharraf. We believe that the state of urge, emergency should be lifted as soon as possible and we also urge all the parties to use restraint and refrain from any dramatic measures,'' Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European Commissioner for External Relations said at a news conference concluding the meeting of European foreign ministers in Brussels. Pakistan's Supreme Court, packed with government-friendly judges since President Pervez Musharraf's imposition of emergency rule, dismissed on Monday the main challenges to his re-election last month. Once the court clears Musharraf's October 6 victory, he has vowed to quit as army chief and become a civilian president, although he remains under fire from the opposition and Western allies for setting back democracy in nuclear-armed Pakistan. The European foreign ministers also agreed to give a "clear and tough" message to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on human rights at a summit with African leaders next month and to send an envoy there before the summit. The Dec. 8-9 summit in Lisbon will be the first between the two continents in seven years. Previous efforts to meet have stumbled over whether Mugabe, whom the West accuses of widespread human rights violations, could be invited. Pressed by competition from China in Africa, the EU wants the summit to take place and Mugabe has been invited this time, despite threats of a British boycott. But human rights will be raised to alleviate the concerns of reluctant EU states. Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado said the EU would also send an observer to Zimbabwe ahead of the December summit. ''Regarding the agenda on the summit, concretely, as far as observers are concerned, an observer will be sent to the region. The idea is to assess the situation in the context of the run-up to the summit. And as far Mugabe's participation is concerned, we had the opportunity to discuss it and want to define a frame of discussions to take place at a political level,'' Luis Amado, the Portuguese Foreign minister whose country will be hosting the summit, told reporters. No date for the visit to Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries has yet been decided, officials said. The EU has imposed sanctions on Mugabe's government, including a visa ban on top officials, which can be lifted for Mugabe to attend the meeting. Mugabe denies he has wrecked the economy with policies such as seizing white-owned farms for blacks with little experience, and he blames Western pressure for hyperinflation and hunger. The 27-member EU is Africa's largest trading partner with trade totalling more than 200 billion euros ($292.8 billion) last year. With talks between Serbia and Kosovo to take place in Brussels on Tuesday (November 20), Kosovo was also at the top of the EU ministers' agenda. Serbian President Boris Tadic arrived in Brussels on Tuesday evening and met with Solana. European Union countries urged the breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo on Monday not to rush into a declaration of independence, but seek consensus in the international community. Former guerrilla Hashim Thaci, who is expected to become prime minister of the majority ethnic Albanian province after Saturday's election, said parliament would declare independence after a December 10 deadline for international mediation efforts -- a move that would almost certainly be resisted by Russia. The United States firmly backs independence for Kosovo, but the EU is divided. Even European capitals that are in favour want such a move to have the blessing of the United Nations or at least broad international support. "Kosovo should have her independence (but) it shouldn't be an unmanaged unilateral declaration. It should be one that is coordinated with the international community," British Europe Minister Jim Murphy told reporters. Murphy told a news briefing after talks among EU ministers on Kosovo that "well above 20" EU states supported recognising Kosovo's independence. "But we haven't got to 27 yet." Murphy said it was up to individual states to recognise another state. "But in terms of managing this process, it's a much better outcome for everyone involved if there's maximum international unity," he said. Several states neighbouring the Balkans plus Germany and Spain have been most hesitant to back a unilateral declaration. German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier told reporters an agreed solution was better for everyone, including Russia, than a unilateral declaration only partially recognised. Few participants hold out much hope for a breakthrough. A mass boycott of Saturday's parliamentary election by Kosovo's Serbs -- in protest against the wide support for independence among Kosovo Albanian politicians -- underlined the divide. Serbia has offered broad autonomy, but the Kosovo Albanians say they will accept nothing less than independence. Western diplomats are concerned that Serbia and Russia will declare the mediation process a sham after it finishes. The EU is anxious to avoid a repeat of its dilemma in the 1990s, when internal splits over how to deal with the Balkan wars showed its ineffectiveness as a foreign policy player.

ITN Source | November 20, 2007

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