Press conference by foreign minister of Togo

 

At a Headquarters press conference this afternoon, Biossey Kokou Tozoun, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Togo, outlined steps his Government continued to take, including re-establishment of basic, civic and political freedoms, to meet commitments it had made for the resumption of aid by the European Union.

The European Union suspended its cooperation with the Togolese Government in 1993 following disputed presidential elections in the country.  At recent meetings with the European Union Council of Ministers, the Government of Togo announced its subscription to 22 commitments leading to the cultivation of a democratic culture and the reinforcement of the rule of law.

Mr. Tozoun said progress had been achieved in the implementation of those commitments in a number of areas.  They included reinforcement of basic rights; enjoyment of human rights; press freedoms; introduction of a bill to reinforce the independence of the National Commission on Human Rights and the introduction of a bill to allow for a transparent and democratic electoral process.

The Government was working towards fulfilling all the commitments in order to ensure the resumption of cooperation with the European Union, he said.  That would enable the Government to benefit from the “indispensable resources” for the development of the country, he added.

Mr.Tozoun also spoke of the role that his country and its head of State had played in the search for peace and resolution of conflicts in Africa.  Togo followed a policy of good neighbourliness.  President Gnassingbe Eyadema had devoted all his energies towards strengthening peace in his country and elsewhere in Africa, the Foreign Minister said.  The President had been involved in the resolution of the conflicts between Mali and Burkina Faso in 1974, Chad in April 1980, and the recent conflicts in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire.  The Minister also noted the involvement of Togolese troops in peacekeeping activities within the framework of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union and the United Nations Organization.

He said Togo would make its voice heard at the United Nations so that the reform of the Organization would allow Africa to get a permanent seat in the Security Council to contribute to the search for peace, and the struggle against HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.  Togo would not stop asking for debt relief for poor countries and a just value for their raw materials, he said.

In response to questions, he said Togo’s interest in the new session of the General Assembly, concerned questions related to international peace and security, among others.  Togo had had a long experience with terrorism of which it had been a victim, he said.  It knew what terrorism was, and had taken measures to ensure that the country was not used as a base for terrorist activities.

He told a questioner that the Darfur conflict was disturbing.  The African Union had taken initiatives to resolve it, including promotion of negotiations with the parties involved.  Extraordinary goodwill was required from the Government of the Sudan to end the conflict.

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