Daily press briefing by Ministry Spokesperson

ZIMBABWE

The Presidency of the Council of the European Union welcomes the conclusion, on 11 September in Harare, of an agreement between Morgan Tsvangirai, Arthur Mutambara and Robert Mugabe paving the way for the formation of a national unity government in Zimbabwe. The agreement is due to be signed on 15 September in Harare.

The Presidency expresses its wish for this agreement to open up constructive possibilities in political, economic and social fields to end the suffering of a people who have endured great hardship over many years.

The Presidency welcomes President Thabo Mbeki’s mediation efforts, under a SADC mandate, supported by the African Union and the United Nations.

The Presidency of the Council of the European Union invites the Zimbabwean authorities to work immediately to restore the country’s economic and humanitarian situation for the good of the Zimbabwean people.

The ministers of foreign affairs hail the mediation conducted by the South African President, under SADC auspices, and will evaluate the situation at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 15 September.

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DEATH PENALTY

Only recently we condemned executions in Iran but we also have to express our condemnation and profound concern after the announcement by the Japanese authorities that three death-row inmates had been hanged.

The European Union is deeply disturbed at the announcement by the Japanese authorities that three inmates on death-row, Yoshiyuki Mantani, 68, Mineteru Yamamoto, 68 and Isamu Hirano, 61, had been hanged.

The accelerated pace of executions in Japan confirms a particularly disturbing trend at a time when there are over 100 inmates on death row.

The EU reaffirms its long-established opposition to the death penalty under all circumstances and is campaigning for its abolition throughout the world by trying to obtain a global moratorium on executions, the first step towards achieving this objective. The EU considers that abolition of the death penalty is essential for the protection of human dignity and the gradual development of human rights. Any judicial error in the application of the death penalty entails the irreparable and irreversible loss of a human life. No judicial system is immune to error, and there is no irrefutable proof showing that the death penalty has any added value as a deterrent.

That is why the EU invites Japan to re-establish the moratorium on executions observed since 25 December 2006 and to consider the abolition of capital punishment.

In this regard the EU recalls that on 17 December 2007 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on a moratorium on the application of the death penalty which expressly asks all States which still practise capital punishment to establish a moratorium on executions with a view to the abolition of the death penalty.

We also have a statement to make concerning the threat of an execution in the United States.

The EU interceded today on behalf of Troy Davis, a US citizen sentenced to death in 1991 in the State of Georgia (US),whose execution date has just been set for 23 September.

A letter signed by the three EU troika ambassadors to Washington, the French Ambassador, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic and the Head of the European Commission delegation, addressed to the President has been delivered to the pardon board of the State of Georgia which has the power to recommend commuting the sentence.

France and her EU partners reaffirm their opposition to the application of the death penalty in all places and circumstances. Abolition of the death penalty is essential for the protection of human dignity and respect for human rights. Any judicial error in the application of the death penalty is irreversible, and no judicial system is immune to error.

The EU calls on the competent authorities of the State of Georgia not to proceed with the execution of Troy Davis and to commute his sentence.

Q. - Japan and the US announce executions. But there are countries like Saudi Arabia where there’s an execution, if not several, every week. Why do you cite the countries that are more transparent?

I’ve just said that we condemn executions everywhere in the world and we’re campaigning for the universal abolition of the death penalty. That applies to all countries, including those you’ve just mentioned. When they are announced, there’s a specific case to discuss these situations, but we condemn the use of the death penalty regardless of the country practising it.

Q. - When you say you call on the authorities of this or that country to suspend executions, are there specific steps or are you content to make the appeal, which will be relayed in the press, without there being specific steps on the ground in the countries concerned?

The fact of saying it publicly is obviously a signal which, we hope, will be heard, and in a great many cases, our declarations are accompanied by specific steps.

BOLIVIA

The European Union condemns the growing number of acts of violence currently taking place in Bolivia, particularly in the provinces of Santa Cruz, Tarija, Pando and Beni.

The European Union renews its appeal to all parties to take steps to rapidly establish a constructive dialogue to avoid a worsening of the situation which could lead to the loss of human life.

The European Union regrets that cooperation projects and institutions sponsored by certain EU Member States have been the subject of threats and attacks. It recalls that those projects benefit the country’s most vulnerable groups.

The European Union reiterates its willingness to assist in a process of dialogue alongside all those who wish to contribute to it.

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GENERAL AFFAIRS AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS COUNCIL

Six items are on the agenda.

First of all Georgia where, without second-guessing decisions that will be taken on Monday, it is likely that there will be a formal declaration to launch the EU observer mission in the CFSP framework. The joint action - since it’s the term used in the Treaty - should be adopted on Monday.

The approach will consist of deploying at least 200 international observers within a very short space of time (before 1 October). This deployment will permit the application of the 8 September agreement on the implementation of the 12 August accord. Point 5B of the 12 August accord stipulates the end of the additional security measures, and therefore the deployment of Russian forces under these measures, and their replacement by international observers. The idea is to strengthen the OSCE and eventually the UN mission (UNOMIG), which will be discussed at the UN on 15 October, and the deployment of the European mission.

48 hours ago we had a meeting in Brussels on the modalities of deploying the European mission. The reports, yesterday and today, show that there are concrete proposals from European countries on participating in this mission.

We believe that the 200 number will be easily reached and will permit deployment in the timeframe scheduled.

Ministers will also discuss on Monday Georgia’s reconstruction efforts and preparation for the international conference referred to in the 8 September agreement. These international discussions are due to start in Geneva on 15 October. They will also be talked over at the GAC, especially the preparatory work since significant work needs to be done to define the parameter, mandate and nature of the discussions.

Let me remind you - and this is very important - that these discussions will include the whole question of refugees and displaced persons.

The third point on the agenda - Serbia, with ICTY prosecutor Serge Brammetz present. He’s back from Belgrade where he spent yesterday and the day before, and will make a presentation on how he perceives cooperation between the Court and Serbian authorities. There will be a discussion on the nature of this cooperation and the implications that it may have for the thaw of the interim agreement which as you know is in abeyance.

The fourth point—as you can see, the GAC agenda is packed—the fight against maritime piracy, particularly off the coast of Somalia. Preparatory work was done on October 27 to establish the European contribution to the implementation of the two resolutions, UNSCR 1814 and 1816.

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CHAD

A report has been published by Oxfam on the situation in eastern Chad. On the basis of this report some rather different reviews have been made.

I want to recall what the report says and what Oxfam has said publicly.

The European EUFOR/CHAD/RCA operation addresses three things which we think are important.

First, the EUFOR mission has enabled many displaced people and refugees to feel safer in the zone.

Second, many NGOs are asking EUFOR for assistance so they can carry out their actions.

Lastly, more generally, the report says EUFOR is succeeding in deploying quickly and fulfilling its mission impartially.

I also want to remind you that the concept of international presence envisioned in Chad, which appears in the UN Security Council resolution, is for a European military presence supporting an environment of security and providing back-up for the presence of Chadian and UN police.

We hope that the UN is able to quickly fulfil its operational tasks - and this is what Oxfam underlines - because for the international presence to be balanced, there needs to be not only the EUFOR presence but also the operational presence of the United Nations.

SUDAN/ICC

We ask the Sudanese authorities to fully respect international justice, particularly the decisions already taken by the ICC with respect to two individuals for whom arrest warrants have been issued, namely, Mr Haroun and Mr Kushayb.

I reiterate this since apparently there’ve been questions about this matter. I also want to recall that we are extremely concerned about the ceasefire violations, especially by the Sudanese authorities, which continue to be perpetrated in Darfur today.

Q. - It’s being said that the UN Secretary-General’s appointment of a US diplomat as special envoy to Western Sahara is a sign of the US administration’s closer involvement in the resolution of this conflict.

There’s no official appointment at this stage, and I’d like to remind you that when people work for the UN, they serve the UN not their country. That’s a very important point. Nationalities aren’t posted when a person works for the UN.

So why is the Ministry insisting so much that certain posts should go to French nationals?

Because we consider we have to make our contribution to the operating of the United Nations, but once a Frenchman works for the UN - as I have, two times in all, for three years - he must work totally and in complete independence for the institution. (…)./.