Brussels, 25/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - The EU has welcomed the signing of the framework agreement for peace, security and co-operation for the Democratic Republic of Congo and the region reached in Addis Ababa, the seat of the African Union, on Sunday 24 February.
In a joint press release published on Sunday, Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Andris Piebalgs, European Commissioner for Development, congratulated United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for his personal involvement in achieving this progress, as well as leaders from the region for choosing dialogue and cooperation as the basis for tackling the many challenges facing them.
In their statement, Ashton and Piebalgs declared: “We welcome the framework agreement signed today as well as the upcoming appointment of a special envoy. We also support a stronger MOUSCO. These are important steps in order to find sustainable, political solutions for the structural problems both at domestic and at regional level. By adopting the agreement, leaders of the DRC and the region commit to respect important principles related to good neighbourliness and to take the concrete action at home that is needed”.
The EU also said it “welcomed the contribution provided by the regional mediation between the DRC government and the M23, led by Uganda” and that it is now calling on “the parties to negotiate in good faith and to prevent the resumption of hostilities in eastern DRC”. (AN/transl.fl)