{{(Reuters}}) – {The European Union has given Zimbabwe 234 million euros ($267 million), it said on Monday, the first time the bloc has given financial aid to the southern African nation’s government since imposing sanctions in 2002. } <\/p>\n
The 28-nation EU has gradually eased biting sanctions on Zimbabwe to encourage political reform, although it has kept an asset freeze and a travel ban on veteran President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace, as well as an arms embargo.<\/p>\n
Since imposing the sanctions, the EU has shunned the government, and restricted its funding to charities only.<\/p>\n
The EU ambassador to Zimbabwe Philippe Van Damme said during a signing ceremony that the agreement opened a new chapter in the bloc’s relationship with Zimbabwe, but cautioned that new problems could still emerge in future. <\/p>\n
“Does this mean that everything is suddenly sorted out and that we are entering a new honeymoon? No, we have cleared some obstacles in our partnership, and as in any partnership new problems may emerge, old problems may reappear,” he said.<\/p>\n
Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party has long demanded the complete removal of EU sanctions it denounces as illegal. <\/p>\n
Finance Minister Finance Patrick Chinamasa said the aid marked a significant step towards improving ties between Zimbabwe and the EU but that sanctions on Mugabe and his wife would hurt full normalisation of relations.<\/p>\n
“As long as the chief executive (Mugabe) remains under sanctions, our relations remain poisoned and unproductive,” Chinamasa said.<\/p>\n
The EU said the funds will improve health, agriculture-based economic development, governance and institution-building. <\/p>\n
Half of the money would be released this year, and the rest will be paid gradually until 2020, Van Damme said.<\/p>\n
($1 = 0.8761 euros)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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