Brussels, 13/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Portuguese Presidency of the Council made the following declaration on behalf of the EU:
"The European Union has taken note of the results of the elections in Peru. It reiterates its deep concern over the number of reported irregularities and anomalies of these elections that reduce the democratic legitimacy they would otherwise have provided.
Once again the European Union would like to put its weight behind all democratic forces active in Peru that strive for a reinforcement of institutions to safeguard the people's right of political freedom and participation and the rule of law. The European Union welcomes the decision of the OAS to send another mission to Peru on the invitation of the Peruvian authorities to explore options and recommendations aimed at further strengthening democracy. The European Union attaches strong importance to the success of the OAS mission and will be observing its results with interest.
Against this background, the European Union calls upon all political forces, and specially the Government, to work for consensus, through dialogue, in order to find sufficient ground for compromise to strengthen democracy in Peru, allowing the opposition to fully participate in the political debate. The European Union will continue to closely follow the situation in Peru and its development. In this light, the European Union will examine its relations with this country.
The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the EU, the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, and the EFTA countries, members of the European Economic Area align themselves with this declaration."