European Union foreign ministers Monday agreed to invite a Cuban
delegation to Brussels to explore the scope for a gradual thaw in
ties but chose not to end a four-year-old freeze on contacts.
The 27-member bloc imposed the freeze after a crackdown on
dissidents on the island country in 2003. It eased restrictions on
some lower-level contacts in 2005 and Spain has been leading a push
for relations to be fully normalized.
However, the Spanish campaign met resistance from others,
notably the Czech Republic, which is insisting the EU remain tough
on its demand that human rights be improved.
"The EU would be ready to resume a comprehensive and open
dialogue with the Cuban authorities on all topics of mutual
interest," the statement agreed by the ministers said.
"In the context of this dialogue, the EU will outline to the
Cuban government its views on democracy, universal human rights and
fundamental freedoms. For sounding this out, a Cuban delegation
will be invited to Brussels," it added.
The statement left out a passage from an earlier draft saying
the EU was ready to lift the 2003 sanctions - a move that would
have irked the United States, which has tried to isolate the island
with a 45-year-old economic embargo.
Diplomats said a number of eastern European countries which
joined the bloc in 2004 believed that normalizing ties would send
the wrong signal to the Cuban leadership.
"We have our principles which are also the principles of the
European Union. We have to support those so as not to delude
ourselves," Czech Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra told
reporters.
The statement deplored a lack of progress on human rights and urged
the release of all political prisoners, adding: "This issue
constitutes a key priority in (EU) policy towards Cuba."
It noted that last July's temporary handover of power by Fidel
Castro to a collective leadership led by his brother Raul Castro
"constitutes a new situation" and called on Cuban authorities to
make economic and political reforms.
(China Daily via agencies June 19, 2007)
