European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Friday had talks in the Central African Republic's capital Bangui with president Faustin-Archange Touadera. She visited CAR after wrapping up a three-nation tour of the Sahel region this week, Mogherini's office said a statement.
Mogherini and Touadera noted progress that had been made in implementing the landmark peace agreement between CAR's central government and the country's 14 main armed groups, said the statement.
"But they also voiced concern at the persistent violations of the accord," the statement underlined.
Mogherini stressed to Touadera that all signatories to the accord must respect their commitments, especially to accelerate its implementation, as well as to demobilisation and disarmament of fighters, said the statement.
She also assured Touadera of "the EU's full support for the CAR's stabilisation and sustainable development" including increasing its Bekou Fiduciary Fund - especially to boost health care, agriculture and rural development.
The EU is also mulling a civilian mission to CAR to support the country's interior security forces, Mogherini told Touadera, according to the statement.
The EU is the CAR's top development partner and is deploying all available resources to strengthen politics, security and humanitarian aid in the country, Mogherini and Touadera said during their talks, according to the statement.
"The EU's priorities are aligned with the government's: to respond to the expectations of CAR's population, notably in the areas of security, justice and reconciliation, development, governance and human rights," the statement said.
Mogherini and Touadera later inaugurated an EU-funded military camp in the western town of Boaur and visited the new headquarters of the European Union training mission there to bolster CAR security forces, said the statement.
Mogherini arrived in CAR from Niger, where she held talks with its president Mahamadou Issoufou after attending the annual EU-G5 Sahel meeting in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou. Her Sahel trip also took in Mali, where met its president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Mogherini's office said in a statement.
