Brussels, 14 February 2000

5839/00 (Presse 30)

P 016/00

Senegal is preparing for presidential elections in the year 2000, to be contested by eight candidates – a testimony to the vitality of the country's pluralist democracy.

The European Union welcomes the tradition and democratic zeal of Senegalese society, calls on all the parties concerned to ensure that, at all stages, the electoral process is conducted in a fair, transparent and peaceful manner and would encourage them to demonstrate a spirit of dialogue, understanding and tolerance.

The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union, the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, and the EFTA countries, members of the European Economic Area align themselves with this declaration.