Brussels, 29/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Union welcomes the agreement reached by Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga to form a coalition government. This achievement is due to the work of the Panel of Eminent Personalities led by the former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan. In a statement, the EU Presidency welcomes the power-sharing agreement and commends the work of the panel “whose determination was crucial in the difficult task of reaching this agreement”. “The agreement reached today signifies the commitment of both parties to find a legitimate political way out of the post-election situation in the country”, the Presidency states, saying that “this is an important step towards peace and reconciliation in Kenya”. The EU, it states, has strongly supported the political dialogue in Kenya and will continue to do so throughout the process.
Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, considers “this is a particularly important agreement that will enable Kenya to return to stability and prosperity and will also have a positive impact throughout the region”. Mr Solana calls on both parties to pursue their negotiations on the outstanding issues “in the same spirit” and with “compromise” and “moderation”. In particular, he pays tribute to Kofi Annan, and to Jakaya Kikwete, President of Tanzania and President of the African Union, “without whom this agreement would not have been possible”.
Louis Michel, Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner, praised the two African leaders for recognising that political compromise offered the only durable solution to the post-election situation. He said: “The Kenyan people have had their faith in the political process restored and can once again look forward to building their future together”. (A.N.)