Brussels, 04/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - Invited by the EU to take part in a political consultation exercise under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement, the Guinean authorities came to Brussels on Wednesday 29 April to discuss ways to put their country on the road to democracy (EUROPE 9863 and 9842). On this occasion, they adopted a roadmap providing for legislative elections on 11 October and presidential elections on 13 December 2009 - elections for which the president, members of the military junta in power and the prime minister of the transition government have pledged not to stand. According to Louis Michel, European Development Commissioner, these commitments allow consensual transition in the short term towards restoring the constitutional order and setting up a democratic regime after free and transparent elections. The commissioner welcomes the work accomplished by the African Union and ECOWAS in the context of the international contact group for Guinea in which the European Commission also participates. The latter will continue to closely monitor the process followed by Guinea for overcoming the crisis, especially within the group meeting in Conakry on Monday 4 May. (A.N./transl.jl)