COUNCIL OF

THE EUROPEAN UNION

EN

Brussels, 13 May 2008

8917/08 (Presse 115)

P 058/08

(OR. fr)

 

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

 

The EU welcomes the significant progress that has been made in the political process in

Somalia since the beginning of the year. It reaffirms its full support to the transitional

federal authorities for the action taken by the Transitional Federal Government and to the

reconciliation strategy by Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein that has made it possible to

start a dialogue with all Somali parties, internal as well as external, and to launch a true

reconciliation process.

The EU welcomes the envisaged opening of discussions between the Transitional Federal

Government and the Alliance for Reliberation of Somalia in Djibouti. These discussions

will be a first necessary step towards the initiation of inter-Somali negotiations.

The EU welcomes the efforts made by the Transitional Federal Government aiming at

reforming the security sector and ensuring the rule of law in Somalia.

The EU reiterates its support to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for

Somalia Ahmedou Ould Abdallah in his efforts to coordinate the action of the international

community and to facilitate inter-Somali political dialogue.

8917/08 (Presse 115) 2

EN

The EU expresses its grave concern about the continuing deterioration of the humanitarian

situation in Somalia and its willingness to support the efforts of the United Nations to

provide urgent response to the crisis.

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, 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.