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Mugabe welcomes key EU delegation Mugabe hails landmark EU meeting
(about 2 hours later)
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has welcomed "with open arms" a European Union delegation making its first high-level visit in seven years. President Robert Mugabe says Zimbabwe's first high-level talks with top EU officials in seven years went well.
The delegation will also meet Mr Mugabe's long-time political rival, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. After the talks, in Harare, he again called for international sanctions imposed after the disputed presidential election in 2002 to be lifted.
Mr Mugabe has appealed for an end to international sanctions imposed after a 2002 disputed presidential poll. The EU team also praised the meeting but indicated it was not appropriate yet for sanctions to end and complained about the slow pace of reforms.
But the EU delegation has described the visit as an attempt to reopen political dialogue with the country. The EU team is also due to meet PM Morgan Tsvangirai on its visit.
Conditions 'West to blame'
Before going into the talks with the EU team in Harare, Mr Mugabe said: "We welcome you with open arms. We hope our talks will be fruitful with a positive outcome." Before going into the talks with the EU team, Mr Mugabe said: "We welcome you with open arms. We hope our talks will be fruitful with a positive outcome."
Earlier Mr Mugabe had lashed out at the Western sanctions, accusing whites of wanting to "poke their nose into own our own affairs". When he reappeared after they ended, he told the BBC the talks had gone well.
ZIMBABWE SANCTIONS EU: 2002 to presentAssets freeze and travel ban on some Mugabe allies, arms-sale banUS: 2003 to presentTrade ban against 250 Zimbabwean individuals and 17 companiesOther countriesCanada, Australia and UK among nations to have imposed their own targeted sanctions Sources: EU, Reuters, US treasury, UK Foreign OfficeZIMBABWE SANCTIONS EU: 2002 to presentAssets freeze and travel ban on some Mugabe allies, arms-sale banUS: 2003 to presentTrade ban against 250 Zimbabwean individuals and 17 companiesOther countriesCanada, Australia and UK among nations to have imposed their own targeted sanctions Sources: EU, Reuters, US treasury, UK Foreign Office
"We have stood firm and we have refused to let go. Zimbabwe - sanctions or no sanctions, Zimbabwe remains ours," he told a meeting of his Zanu-PF youth wing in Harare. But Mr Mugabe also said he bore no sense of responsibility for anything that had gone wrong in Zimbabwe - blaming Western governments and international sanctions, which he said should be lifted soon.
The BBC's Andrew Harding, in Harare, says the EU visit is an exploratory one and no breakthroughs or major announcements are expected. Mr Mugabe, 85, added that he had no plans to step down, saying he was "still young".
The EU team, led by Development Commissioner Karel De Gucht, expressed satisfaction with the talks.
But the BBC's Andrew Harding, in Harare, says the delegation stressed these were not negotiations but discussions.
Our correspondent says the EU team pointed out that it had outlined the problems with the current situation, complaining to the president about the slow pace of political reform and about human rights violations and the rule of law.
The team, which has described the visit as an attempt to reopen political dialogue with Zimbabwe, said it was not appropriate to lift sanctions at the moment or for major aid to start.
Our correspondent says the EU visit is regarded as an exploratory one and no breakthroughs or major announcements had been expected.
He says that one year on from the announcement of a key power-sharing deal in Zimbabwe, there remain serious doubts about human rights, the stalling of political reform and the good faith of President Mugabe and his supporters.He says that one year on from the announcement of a key power-sharing deal in Zimbabwe, there remain serious doubts about human rights, the stalling of political reform and the good faith of President Mugabe and his supporters.
Our correspondent says it is expected that the EU delegation will tell Mr Mugabe that not enough has yet been done for the EU to begin a large disbursement of development aid. 'No impact'
Last week, African leaders had called for sanctions against the country to be lifted but the EU's Development Commissioner Karel De Gucht said the measures had "no impact on the common population". In a speech a day before meeting the delegation, Mr Mugabe had lashed out at the Western sanctions, accusing whites of wanting to "poke their nose into own our own affairs".
"This is not about sanctions," he said. "It's not about excuses and disputes. It is about a process that can lead to a normalisation of relations." The EU team will also be meeting Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
Sweden's Development Minister Gunilla Carlsson and Mr De Gucht will be in the country until Sunday on the EU's first official visit since 2002. "We have stood firm and we have refused to let go. Zimbabwe - sanctions or no sanctions, Zimbabwe remains ours," he told a meeting of his Zanu-PF youth wing in Harare.
Western donors are unwilling to re-start funding until they see clear evidence of reform and an end to human rights violations. Last week, African leaders had called for sanctions against the country to be lifted but Karel De Gucht said the measures had "no impact on the common population".
Ahead of the visit, Zimbabwe said it would release some 1,500 prisoners from overcrowded prisons under an amnesty programme. Sweden's Development Minister Gunilla Carlsson and Mr De Gucht will be in the country until Sunday.
But Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, said last week that the EU was not considering lifting sanctions. Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, said last week that the EU was not considering lifting sanctions.
"It is not the restrictions that are creating problems in Zimbabwe, it is the mismanagement [and] not respecting of human rights," the AFP news agency reported him as saying.
Long-time opposition leader Mr Tsvangirai wants a removal of sanctions to be conditional on how well the power-sharing deal signed a year ago has been implemented.Long-time opposition leader Mr Tsvangirai wants a removal of sanctions to be conditional on how well the power-sharing deal signed a year ago has been implemented.
But last week the leaders of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) rejected that proposal.But last week the leaders of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) rejected that proposal.
South African President Jacob Zuma, who has criticised Mr Mugabe in the past and was expected to side with Mr Tsvangirai, said there should be no conditions placed on the removal of sanctions.South African President Jacob Zuma, who has criticised Mr Mugabe in the past and was expected to side with Mr Tsvangirai, said there should be no conditions placed on the removal of sanctions.