EU Presidency Declaration on latest developments in Ivory Coast

The EU welcomes the meeting held in Yamoussoukro on Thursday 4 December 2003 between the national armed forces and those of the New Forces, under the chairmanship of the Head of State and Supreme Commander, with a view to resuming the vital and urgent process of assembling and disarming the opposing military forces.

It applauds the statements made by President Gbagbo, clearly expressing his resolve to apply the Marcoussis Agreement in full.

It now trusts that the commitments made at that meeting will be scrupulously honoured.

The EU fully values and encourages these positive developments, which hold out a sign of hope for the swift and full implementation of the Marcoussis Agreement. It strongly reiterates its call to the New Forces' ministers to resume their participation in the peace process and in government as soon as possible. In view of the decisions just taken in Yamoussoukro, those ministers' continued absence would now be incomprehensible.

The EU also confirms its willingness to support the reunification and reconstruction of Côte d'Ivoire with all the means at its disposal.

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, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this declaration.

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