Mbeki to urge EU not to sanction Zimbabwe

President Thabo Mbeki is expected to urge the European Union (EU) to drop sanctions against Zimbabwe and allow settlement of the political crisis through negotiations. Mbeki will hold talks with the EU's top leadership led by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barraso in Bordeaux, France, tomorrow.

South Africa's Ambassador to Brussels Anil Sooklal says the signing of the framework for talks by President Robert Mugabe and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is an indication of progress towards resolving the crisis in that country.

Mbeki is also expected to discuss with the EU leadership the implication of the indictment of Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Bashir has been charged by the ICC for genocide and war crimes arising from the ongoing conflict in Darfur. Ambassador Sooklal says the Darfur crisis can only be resolved through a peaceful political settlement and cooperation with the African Union.