18/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - European observation mission for elections on 21 April. On 15 March, High Representative for European Affairs Catherine Ashton announced that the European Union, in response to an invitation by the Paraguayan authorities, will deploy a mission to observe the General Elections of 21 April. The observation team will be led by Renate Weber MEP (ALDE, Romania), who arrived in Asunción on 14 March. In total, around 100 observers from the EU, including a delegation from the European Parliament, will be attending the elections. A core team of eight EU election analysts arrived on 2 March. They will progressively be joined by 22 long-term observers and 52 short-term observers from 27 EU member states, as well as from Norway. Ashton emphasised that “the forthcoming elections in Paraguay will be very important for the stability and the democratic development of the country and the normalisation of relations in the region. I am confident that all stakeholders will engage in the process in a peaceful and democratic way”. (CG/transl.fl)