Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on Togo

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The European Union welcomes the conclusion in Lomé on 20 August 2006 of a comprehensive political agreement approved and signed by all the participants in the inter-Togolese dialogue.

The European Union commends the perseverance and efforts of all participants in reaching this consensus. It pays unstinting tribute to the facilitating role played by President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso, whose work was decisive. It welcomes the determined commitment made by President Faure Gnassingbé at the signing ceremony to implement the agreement in full.

The accord fulfils one of the undertakings given to the European Union in the last consultations under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement. Respecting the spirit of the 22 undertakings, it improves the electoral framework and the conditions for preparing a fresh general election, tackles the issues of security and impunity, provides for institutional reforms to be taken forward and for a government of national unity to be established, and creates a mechanism for monitoring and ensuring the proper implementation of the undertakings given, in which the observers, in particular Burkina Faso, ECOWAS and the EU, will take part.

This comprehensive political agreement is an essential step towards restoring full and complete Community cooperation with Togo.

The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, 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 and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this declaration.

* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.