GABORONE, September 13, 2008 (AFP) - Botswana is pleased with Zimbabwe's power-sharing deal, despite having condemned President Robert Mugabe's election in June, its foreign minister said Saturday.

'We are obviously happy with the latest developments in Zimbabwe, because that is what Botswana has been calling for,' Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani told AFP.

Skelemani said he and Botswana President Ian Khamahe would go to Harare on Monday for the official signing of the accord.

After drawn out negotiations, the deal was reached Thursday by Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Morgan Tsvangirai, and Arthur Mutambara's breakaway faction of the MDC.

'Going to Zimbabwe on Monday would not be inconsistent with our position,' said Skelemani, referring to Botswana's refusal to recognise Mugabe as president until a deal was reached.

'We would go there to witness with others' and to show the leaders of Zimbabwe we appreciate they are moving 'in the positive direction', he said.

To protest Mugabe's election, the Botswana president refused to attend a South African Development Community (SADC) summit in August and instead sent Skelemani.

After Mugabe's re-election in a one-candidate vote in June, Botswana had called for Zimbabwe to be suspended from the African Union and SADC.