Zimbabwe Oct03 |
In the run-up to next week's ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
meeting in Rome, it has been revealed that the Italian Government has
granted an entry visa to Paul Mangwana, a Zimbabwean Minister banned from
entering the EU. Bashir Khanbhai MEP, Conservative ACP Spokesman in the European
Parliament, said: "Mugabe
continues to deny democracy and human rights to his people.
He has defied the EU, the UN and the rest of the world.
The ban on Zimbabwean Ministers entering the EU was passed
unanimously by the Council of Ministers and supported by the European
Parliament, but it was not implemented at last year's ACP meeting in
Brussels resulting in the cancellation of the entire conference. Next week's meeting in Rome, where the
problems of 77 poor countries will be addressed, must not be jeopardised
by the attendance of banned Zimbabweans.
The visa for Mr Mangwana must be revoked so that parliamentarians
from all participating countries can work without distraction to solve the
problems of the poor. I urge
the Italian Government to act now to ensure this." ENDS |