IN a bid to limit the “damage” caused by British foreign secretary David Miliband’s comments over the lifting of EU sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, the UK embassy in Harare has insisted that the measures would only be removed if there was evidence of reform on the ground.

Miliband left Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his party in a state of pique when he suggested last Wednesday the UK would only lift the sanctions on the advice of the MDC.

“In respect of sanctions, we have made it clear that they can be lifted only in a calibrated way, as progress is made … and, above all, to be guided by what the MDC says to us about the conditions under which it is working and leading the country,” Miliband said.

The comments left the MDC, which has always insisted that it had no influence over the issue vulnerable to accusations of complicity and Zanu PF Chairman, Simon Khaya Moyo immediately obliged by demanding that Tsvangirai’s party calls for the removal of the sanctions.

However in a belated attempt to limit the damage the UK embassy in Harare issued a statement on Friday.

“As the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, made clear in Parliament on 19 January, the most important factor influencing the United Kingdom's views on lifting EU restrictive measures will be evidence of actual change and reform on the ground in Zimbabwe.

“In making this judgement, we will need to take into account the views of a number of stakeholders, including the Movement for Democratic Change, on the economic, social and other conditions prevailing in Zimbabwe.

“But the key to having restrictive measures eased, or lifted, is for those in Zimbabwe who are currently resisting progress to implement the commitments to reform they agreed to in the Global Political Agreement (GPA),” the embassy said.

The statement added that the “restrictive measures” only targeted certain individuals and companies associated with them.

“The EU measures currently impose restrictions on 203 key figures involved in the violence and human rights abuses of the Mugabe regime and 40 companies associated with these individuals and their sources of finance. They do not hurt ordinary Zimbabweans.

“They do not affect the development of legitimate trade or business. They do not have any adverse effect on humanitarian assistance. Indeed, levels of British aid - $100 million this year - to Zimbabwe and ordinary Zimbabweans have never been higher,” the statement from the embassy read.