Brussels, 03/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Swedish Presidency has made the following declaration on behalf of the EU: "The EU notes with satisfaction that the local elections in Côte d'Ivoire on 25 March 2001, were generally held in an orderly and transparent manner, with the exception of some isolated unfortunate incidents. The EU welcomes that all political parties participated in the elections, thus signifying an important step in the democratic process in Côte d'Ivoire. In light of the on-going consultations between the EU and Côte d'Ivoire according to article 96 of the Cotonou agreement, the EU hopes that the elections will contribute to the promotion of national reconciliation and to the consolidation of rule of law in Côte d'Ivoire.
The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the EU, the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, and the EFTA countries, members of the EEAalign themselves with this declaration."