EUROPEAN UNION:EU FOREIGN ministers have welcomed the powersharing deal in Zimbabwe and decided not to impose further sanctions on the country while it studies the agreement.
"The council will study the details of the agreement and will be attentive to its implementation, which will mean immediate cessation of all forms of intimidation and violence," ministers said after a meeting in Brussels.
The EU floated the prospect of giving financial aid to support a transitional government that takes "steps to restore democracy and the rule of law in Zimbabwe". But ministers stressed that the powersharing deal must provide the Zimbabwean people with reforms.
EU foreign ministers had planned to extend the EU's sanctions against the regime of Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe following a wave of violence unleashed against supporters of pro-democracy presidential challenger Morgan Tsvangirai. But news of the breakthrough in powersharing talks caused Brussels to postpone the move.
"The future engagement of the international community with the new government of Zimbabwe will depend on the details of its programme, the details of its composition and the actions it takes to bring changes and respect the democratic will of the people," said British foreign minister David Miliband as he arrived at the meeting.
EU ministers also agreed to send a 200-strong observer mission to Georgia by October 1st to monitor the ceasefire between Georgian and Russian forces. EU foreign affairs chief Javier Solana said the EU had secured enough pledges of civilian observers but he was unable to clarify whether the force would deploy in Abkhazia or South Ossetia.
Sweden and Lithuania had raised concerns that if the mission did not enter the breakaway regions from Georgia it may amount to de facto recognition of independence.
EU ministers failed to agree a deal to extend new trade benefits to Serbia despite a positive report on Belgrade's co-operation from the chief UN war crimes prosecutor, Serge Brammertz.
European enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said Mr Brammertz briefed the ministers "about the significantly intensified efforts of the Serbian government in the field of . . . co-operation" with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
But the Netherlands continues to insist on Serbia arresting former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic before the trade benefits are extended.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin announced yesterday that he planned to update MEPs at the European Parliament on October 6th about the Government's research on why the Irish people rejected the Lisbon Treaty in the June 12th referendum.