Brussels, Belgium - The European Union (EU) has partially lifted its targeted sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, citing recent political developments in the Southern African nation, a statement issued by the European Commission on Wednesday indicated here.
It hailed the agreement reached recently between political parties on the final draft bill, the announcement that elections will hold in mid-March, and the constitutional referendum limiting both the president’s immunity and term in office.
Describing that agreement as a “decisive step” in the implementation of the 2005 global political agreement, the EU said the measures would give new impetus to the reform process and paves the way for free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.
The EU also called on all Zimbabwean political parties to “maintain that impetus” to fully implement the global political deal and the movement order set by the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The sanctions lifted were the travel ban to Europe imposed on 112 staff members of President Robert Mugabe and the sanctions against the Zimbabwean Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC).
Pana 20/02/2013