The European Union is closely following the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, the seventh round of which began at the end of November. The EU Special Representative for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, has visited the talks twice during this round, and several member states are represented there. The EU welcomes the progress that has been made in the wealthsharing commission since the beginning of the round. But it is gravely concerned at the lack of progress on the other two tracks (power-sharing and security arrangements) in the first two and a half weeks..... The EU reiterates its full support to the African Union-led mediation team and commends it for its tireless efforts in these talks.

The EU is also deeply concerned by the continuing violations of the ceasefire agreements in Darfur. It calls on all sides to stop such attacks immediately and to refrain from any action that might aggravate the situation in Darfur and in Chad.

The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this declaration.