Spain promises to help Zimbabwe improve relations with EU

Madrid (Earth Times - dpa) - Spain on Thursday promised to help Zimbabwe improve its relations with the European Union during its EU presidency in the first half of 2010. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero told Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai that Spain wanted the EU to step up its dialogue with the southern African country to help it move towards a "democratic stabilization," government sources said after the two leaders met in Madrid.

Tsvangirai, a former political opponent of President Robert Mugabe who entered a national unity government in February, said he felt hopeful about the possibilities of a "national reconciliation" in Zimbabwe.

Tsvangirai asked Spain to promote an "open and direct" dialogue between his country and the EU to normalize gradually Zimbabwe's relations with the West.

An EU delegation that visited Zimbabwe in September said the EU was prepared to normalize relations and to resume development aid once Harare showed it respected human rights, and once Mugabe met the conditions set in the agreement that led to the formation of the national unity government.

Tsvangirai was visiting Spain to meet with Zapatero and to receive a human achievement award.