European Union
Marie-Pierre Jouglain
Press Officer for Humanitarian Aid, Development and Relations with African, Caribbean and Pacific States
11 September 2009
European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Karel De Gucht will undertake a joint visit to Zimbabwe as part of an EU Troika mission with the Swedish EU Presidency on Saturday 12 th and Sunday 13 th September.
The joint-EU mission aims to underline the urgent need for Zimbabwe’s unity government to fully implement the Global Political Agreement (GPA) in order for the EU to be able to fully re-engage with Zimbabwe and restore its co-operation assistance in full. The joint EU mission to Zimbabwe follows on from the visit by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and members of the inclusive government to Brussels in mid-June to re-launch the political dialogue between the EU and Harare. Discussions on the Saturday are expected to be held with all parties including with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in Bulawayo and President Robert Mugabe in Harare. Commissioner De Gucht will also meet with Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.
Commissioner Karel De Gucht stated, “There is an urgent need for all parties to fulfil their obligations under the Global Political Agreement (GPA). By doing this, the EU can once again fully re-engage with Zimbabwe and help the country on its return to normality and prosperity by resuming our development cooperation in full. This is a critical time for Zimbabwe and the weight of responsibility falls squarely on the country’s leaders to deliver urgent political, economic and social progress for the benefit of all the people of Zimbabwe. They must work together to resolve any difficulties surrounding the GPA’s full implementation. We have seen some stabilisation of the economy in recent months and with this visit I am looking forward to the possibility to meet with the three Principals of the Agreement, so as to listen to them and discuss the way forward towards the normalization of EU-Zimbabwe relations.”
On Saturday, Commissioner Karel De Gucht will also meet Zimbabwean Minister of Education David Coltart to launch the European Commission’s contribution of €7.5 million to the education sector, mainly aimed at providing teaching and learning material to Zimbabwean primary schools
On the Sunday morning, Commissioner Karel De Gucht will also visit a key Commission funded humanitarian project in Chitungwiza just outside Harare. The European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid department, under the direct responsibility of the Commissioner, provided €1.4 million euros for the rehabilitation of the Prince Edward water treatment plant as well as supporting direct hygiene and sanitation action in the fight against the 2008/9 Cholera outbreak.
The European Commission is the overall main donor to vulnerable populations of Zimbabwe, having provided €572 million in both humanitarian and essential development aid to the population since 2002.