THE EU: The refusal by Mr Pat Cox, president of the European Parliament, to permit Zimbabwean ministers into the legislature's buildings in Brussels has thrown into jeopardy today's meeting of representatives from African, Caribbean and Pacific states with their EU counterparts.
The leaders from both sides will hold talks this morning to try to salvage the four-day meeting of the EU-ACP joint assembly. Yesterday's preliminary meetings of working groups were cancelled in a growing row over the European Parliament's ban on two members of the Zimbabwean government.
Mr Niall Andrews, a Fianna Fáil MEP, warned that the session was in danger of being abandoned. That, he said, would be a propaganda victory for the president of Zimbabwe, Mr Robert Mugabe. Mr Cox, he said, should back down and let the Zimbabwean ministers in. "I have been a member of the assembly since 1984 and this is the biggest crisis we have ever faced," he said.
The 77 nations of the ACP send representatives twice a year to the assembly to discuss with MEPs such issues as trade liberalisation, development and human rights.
Ms Glenys Kinnock, Labour MEP for Wales and joint president of the assembly from the EU side, said last night that the future of the assembly was hanging in the balance. "I really do hope that it can go ahead," she said.
But Mr Andrews accused Ms Kinnock of using the assembly as "a political tool" in her campaign against Zimbabwe. He said the European Parliament had painted itself into a corner, with Ms Kinnock "making all the running" and Mr Cox following. "It will be a disaster for north-south relations if the meeting is cancelled," he said.
"The African members will all side with Zimbabwe." At the very least, it seems that the African members of the assembly will boycott the opening ceremony.
The European Parliament's conference of presidents, that is, the leaders of the political groups with Mr Cox presiding, resolved on Thursday that Mr Paul Mangwana, minister for state enterprises, and Mr Chris Kuruneri, deputy minister for finance and economic development, should not be allowed into the parliament building where the assembly is scheduled to meet.
Both men feature on a list of those close to Mr Mugabe who should be refused visas to enter the EU, which was drawn up by the European Union's council of ministers. But the visa ban allows exceptions, at the discretion of the host country, for those attending international gatherings, and the Belgian government appears to have exploited this loophole in giving visas to the two ministers.
A spokesman for Mr Cox said he had written to the Belgian government the week before advising them not to grant visas to the two men. Mr Cox, he said, felt it was important for the parliament to act consistently with various earlier resolutions on Zimbabwe.
"There are times when you have to stand up and be counted," the spokesman said, pointing out that the Zimbabwe government had refused to let some MEPs into the country, including Ms Kinnock and the British conservatives, Neil Parish and Geoffrey Van Orden.
Ms Kinnock refused to comment on whether she thought the Belgian government should have given the Zimbabwean ministers visas.