Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the democratic process in Yemen
- On: 16.12.2008
The European Union strongly supports the democratic process in Yemen. It expresses its concern at certain recent developments, including the postponement of local elections for four years, which may be interpreted as signs of a deterioration in the political dialogue between the various stakeholders.
The European Union calls on all sides to seek a consensus on the basis of the agreements reached between the various political parties along the lines of the recommendations put forward by the 2006 electoral observation mission. On that basis, the EU confirms its willingness to consider sending a new electoral observation mission to Yemen for the parliamentary elections in the spring of 2009.
The European Union urges all sides to take the path of peaceful coexistence in a spirit of constructiveness, with the aim of arriving at a compromise and a transparent and democratic consensus in order that democracy in Yemen can be strengthened.
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 and Liechtenstein, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia 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.
- Updated: 29.12.2008
