Zimbabwe rejects EU demands

Harare - President Robert Mugabe's government said yesterday it was ready to meet the EU demand for discussions on its human …

Harare - President Robert Mugabe's government said yesterday it was ready to meet the EU demand for discussions on its human rights record. But Harare said it continued to reject what it called EU ultimatums to allow foreign observers to monitor the run-up to next year's presidential elections.

"Zimbabwe is ready for the consultations, has been ready for the consultation since June and our position on the issue is clear," the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Stan Mudenge, told Zimbabwe state media. But while the government was ready for dialogue, he said, it remained firm on its rejection of ultimatums on the issue of allowing observers to monitor presidential elections.

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter