Pretoria - While welcoming the political developments in Zimbabwe's power sharing government, the European Union and South Africa have raised concerns on the slow pace of fully implementing the agreement.
In a joint communique, issued after the 10th EU-South Africa ministerial political dialogue held in Brussels on Tuesday, the two urged the members of the inclusive government to move forward rapidly in implementing the Global Political Agreement.
There has been progress made regarding the appointment of the Commissioners for the Media, Human Rights and Electoral Commissions and the acquittal of Roy Bennett.
A judge on Monday acquitted Bennett, arrested last year shortly before he was due to be sworn in as deputy agriculture minister, of charges of trying to overthrow Robert Mugabe.
However, Zimbabwe's State lawyers have given notice that they intend to prevent Bennett, a top white aide to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, from being sworn in as a deputy minister.
The SA-EU meeting, which was co-chaired side by Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashbane and her counterpart Baroness Catherine Ashton, also slammed Israeli settlements as illegal and an obstacle to peace.
They argue that the settlements and the separation barrier where built on occupied land, as well as evictions and the demolition of homes were illegal under international law and constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make a two-state solution impossible.
Both South Africa and the EU stressed their call for an immediate, sustained and unconditional opening of crossings for the flow of humanitarian aid, commercial goods and persons to and from Gaza.
In relation to the report of the UN Fact Finding Mission chaired by South African Judge Richard Goldstone on the Gaza Conflict, the communique said both parties took careful note of the call by the United Nations Security Council for both sides to conduct independent investigations into alleged violations of human rights and International Humanitarian Law.
"At the same time, both sides encouraged Israel, as it does similarly the Palestinians, to assume a constructive approach to a further credible and fully independent investigation into the allegations," it said.
On Sudan, both sides welcomed the largely peaceful conduct of the recent elections there and commended the Sudanese for their active participation.
They noted the efforts to form a new government and called upon all parties to settle outstanding differences and to establish a broad political basis in view of the implementation of the remaining elements of the Comprehensive Political Agreement.
Other issues raised included debt relief, the effects of the global recession, climate change and the upcoming G20 summit.
The parties exchanged views about the need for an intensified follow-up to the whole range of G-20 commitments of relevance to developing countries.
The parties believed that underrepresented developing countries should have a greater voice and representation in the international financial institutions, including their mandates and governance.
