New Delhi20 February 2007
"You know that longstanding wish of ours has been of course that President Musharraf would also take away his uniform ... I think it is for us particularly now to look to the elections and see how free and fair they will be. It will be very important for the population," Ms Ferrero-Waldner said in New Delhi. She made first bilateral visit to India from February 16 to 20.
General Musharraf holds the two posts of the President and the Army Chief of Pakistan.
In a recent interview to Pakistani television channel Hum TV, General Musharraf said
that his decision to keep two posts has allowed him to maintain unity of command and to
take important decisions like national security, Balochistan and Federally Administered
Tribal Areas (FATA).
She said that the issue of "free and fair" elections in Pakistan "will be very important" for
the European Union (EU). "We know that there will be first presidential and then
parliamentary elections. Now let us see how the elections will be seen, we will certainly
send an exploratory mission and then we will decide also whether we might observe the
elections from the European Union or not."
Ms Ferrero-Waldner indicated that the EU would want to send an observer for the
elections in Pakistan. She said, "[We will] first [send] an exploratory mission because
we also look into the preliminary conditions and if the conditions are being met and if we
think it is the right thing to do then I will decide on a chief observer, but I'm not yet
there. And then of course we have to have an invitation [from the Pakistan government]."
On the Iran nuclear issue, she said that the EU's "double track approach" meant that the
"door is open" for talks with the Iranian leadership. She hoped the Iranians would seize
this opportunity. The International Atomic Energy Agency will present its report on
whether Iran is complying with the terms of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
Resolution 1737 on February 21. On the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, she said, "We
have not pronouced ourselves on that at all."
"Just now a week ago [we] have decided on the implementation of a common position [on
the UNSC resolution.] This was very impportant and we think the international community
should remain and stick united but at the same time we always have said we have a
double track approach, that means apart from the implementation of the Secuity Council
Resolution our door is open to negotiations ... but of course Iran has to also make
preliminary steps and we always have said that this is suspending enrichment," she
said.
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