Brussels, 31/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - Guinea-Bissau authorities are to be invited to travel to Brussels for political consultations to try to find a way out of the crisis following the mutiny of 1 April 2010 and to put the country back on the road to democracy and good governance.
That was what the EU Council of Ministers decided without debate on Monday 31 January, approving the content of a letter to be sent to the government of this small West African country. The Council thus approved the proposal made by the European Commission on 20 December of last year to begin negotiations under the terms of Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement (see EUROPE 10283).
The EU hopes that these consultations will bring a constructive dialogue that will allow the authorities of the country to take the necessary steps to end impunity, strengthen civil authority, improve stability and relaunch the reform of the security sector. The letter to be sent to the Guinea-Bissau authorities will inform them that development cooperation will initially be suspended but could be gradually resumed if the government response satisfies the EU. (A.N./transl.rt)