Brussels, 23/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Monday the Council adopted conclusions in which it reaffirms that, "Africa remains a privileged partner of the European Union". The council welcomes the important decisions taken by the African Union (AU) during the recent Maputo Summit and, in particular, the plan for setting up an AU Commission. It takes note of the request made by Heads of State of the EU to examine the possibility of creating a support instrument for peace keeping operations. It is calling on the Commission to present it with proposals on an "appropriate follow-up".
The Council also adopted conclusions on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region. It is pleased with the smooth conduct of operation Artemis in Bunia and welcomes the recent progress in the peace process in the DRC. The Council is calling on the High Representative for the CFSP and the Commission to examine the following measures: support for setting up an integrated police unit to guarantee the security of the provisional institutions in Kinshasa, and possibly, other measures in the police sector; increased support for the work of the International Committee for Support to the Transition; a substantial contribution to the funding of aid, rehabilitation and development efforts; support for the electoral process within the time limit set by the Pretoria Agreements. It is calling on them to produce proposals for 1) supporting consolidation of the State of Law, 2) supporting United Nations action to end illegal exploitation of natural resources, 3) ending the traffic in weapons to the east of the DRC, 4) guarantee that those guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide in the DRC are punished.
At the end of the meeting, the Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Antonio Martins da Cruz expressed his wish that the second EU-Africa Summit, initially programmed for last April in Lisbon, could at last take place "before summer 2004".