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Mr Phillipe Van Damme

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter—
European Union ambassador to Zimbabwe Philippe Van Damme yesterday paid a courtesy call on Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda and expressed the bloc’s willingness to continue providing financial and technical support to Parliament. The two also reviewed the previous support Parliament has received from the EU.

“The EU is giving substantial support to Parliament of Zimbabwe through UNDP and SAPST and other civil society organisations and we have come for a mid-term review of that support programme and we wanted to a have a discussion with the Speaker of Parliament to see how we can continue the support and where we have to have some corrections and how to refocus our support to Parliament,” he said.

The support Parliament has received includes technical assistance and training for the Parliament outreach programme.

Ambassador Van Damme expressed satisfaction over their cooperation with Parliament.

“We have reached a very broad level of consensus on the way forward and we will try and go out to the second phase of our parliamentary support programme. I think the mid-term review has been quite positive, of cause there are weaknesses like all programmes and we have to work on the weaknesses and strengthen the positive aspects of this programme that’s why we decided at the EU that we will continue our support to parliament and will do that in coordination with other donors and civil society and the academia,” he said.

“These discussions and support to Parliament are a way of re-engaging and we are working with the RBZ in terms of support of the economic reforms which are in the pipeline so we continue engaging at all levels possible.”

He also said the EU supported Government’s efforts to improve the economic environment as a way of attracting foreign investors through engagements with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Office of the President and Cabinet.