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ahead of talks scheduled to begin today.
The dialogue seeks to find ways of thawing relations that became frosty after the EU bloc imposed illegal economic sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2002.
The Zimbabwe team is being led by Energy and Power Development Minister, Elton Mangoma (MDC-T) and includes Justice and Legal Affairs Minister, Patrick Chinamasa (Zanu-PF), and Regional Integration and International Co-operation Minister Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga (MDC).
“We arrived today (yesterday) and the actual talks will begin tomorrow (today),” he said.
The re-engagement dialogue came after the High Representative of EU Foreign Affairs and Policy Lady
Catherine Ashton, in February wrote to President Mugabe indicating the bloc’s willingness to engage in an “intensified” political dialogue with Zimbabwe.
She said the situation in Zimbabwe had changed tremendously since the imposition of the illegal sanctions in 2002.
Lady Ashton said the easing of the sanctions and resumption of dialogue was based on progress made since the establishment of the inclusive Government. In the letter Lady Ashton said the dialogue should have made some notable progress by August 20.
All three parties in the inclusive Government have agreed that the EU’s illegal sanctions regime should be removed in its entirety as it has hampered the economic turnaround programme.
The EU imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe at the behest of Britain, which internationalised its bilateral dispute with Zimbabwe after reneging on its obligations to fund land reforms in November 1997.
The Tory administration of the then British premier, Margaret Thatcher had pledged, with the support of the US administration of Jimmy Carter, to meet the costs of land reforms in Zimbabwe at the Lancaster House Constitutional Conference in 1979.
Online Reporter