European ministers call for Zimbabwe poll results

PARIS (Reuters) - A group of European foreign ministers expressed concern on Monday over the situation following elections in Zimbabwe and called on authorities to release the results of the vote promptly.

"We call on the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission to swiftly announce all official election results, especially the results of the presidential election," the ministers from France, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Britain said in a statement.

The ministers, who had been holding an informal meeting in Paris at which they discussed the elections, said the future of the Zimbabwean people depended on the credibility and the transparency of the electoral process.

"We note with interest and admiration the reports from Zimbabwean civil society groups of specific results from polling stations around the country," they said.

The ministers said they looked forward to working with democratically elected Zimbabwean authorities who they said would be expected to improve human rights and the rule of law for the good of the Zimbabwean people.

(Reporting by James Mackenzie)