Summary: 14 August 2007, Brussels - The European Union welcomes the signature in N'Djamena on 13 August 2007, in the presence of the international community and of the Chadian Head of State, President Idriss Deby Itno, of the political agreement with a view to the reinforcement of the democratic process in Chad by all the Chadian political parties in the majority and in the opposition.
The agreement represents a major step forward in restoring political confidence and consolidating the democratic process in Chad. It is the fruit of an exemplary exercise in political dialogue, launched in December 2006 with the support of the European Union, and conducted since then with courage and determination by 17 parties representing the political scene in Chad.
The European Union, which signed the agreement as an observer and which will participate as a "facilitator" in its "follow-up and support committee", congratulates all Chadian players of good will on the patience, tolerance and national vision which they have shown in reaching this remarkable result.
The political agreement signed yesterday is an historic opportunity for all the people of Chad to move forwards towards peace, stability and development, clearly and definitively rejecting weapons as a means to achieving and retaining power, which has been unanimously condemned by the international community.
The European Union now calls on those same players to maintain this spirit of openness and consensus, and to continue to promote the national interest in the essential phase of the effective and resolute implementation of the political agreement, in all its dimensions: electoral, institutional and security.
For its part, the European Union reaffirms its sustained commitment to remain alongside Chad in this beneficial process. With the people of Chad, it hopes that other external partners with an interest in the stability and development of this country will also associate themselves with it.
In particular, the European Union will continue and step up the efforts it has already made to promote the thorough going reform - defined in the political agreement - of the Chadian electoral framework, with a view to achieving, on an improved basis acceptable to all, future democratic polls which are credible and faithfully reflect the aspirations of all the people of Chad.
The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia align themselves with this declaration.
* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
| Top |
European Union Member States
Alerts by email
Email this page
Print this page