Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress Zimbabwe has made in its application to re-join the Commonwealth; and what requirements will need to be met by the Zimbabwean government to progress that application.

The decision on whether Zimbabwe re-joins the Commonwealth is for all Commonwealth members. We recognise the value of having Zimbabwe back in the Commonwealth, but any re-entry would need to be on the basis that Zimbabwe was meeting admission requirements and able to uphold the values and principles set out in the Commonwealth Charter. Zimbabwe's General Elections this year present a clear opportunity for the Government to demonstrate progress against the principles of the Charter, namely respect for human rights and freedom for the political opposition, civil society and media to operate.