16/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - On 15 January, the Irish presidency produced, on behalf of the EU, the following statement, "The European Union welcomes the conclusion on 20 December 2003 of the Moroni Agreement, an essential stage in the process of reconciliation in the Comoros. It salutes the spirit of compromise shown by the Comoran parties in concluding this Agreement. The EU pays tribute to the role played by the African Union and the decisive contribution made by South Africa in the conclusion of the Agreement. The EU is determined to lend its full support to the successful implementation of the Moroni Agreement. The Acceding countries Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia, the Associated countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey and the EFTA countries, member of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this declaration.