The Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez, ratified this Friday the “will” to continue with the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (ADPC) with the European Union (EU) when receiving the ambassador of the community bloc in Havana.
Rodríguez published the images of the meeting at the Foreign Ministry headquarters with the diplomatic representative of the European Union in Cuba, Isabel Brilhante, and added, via Twitteras he usually does, without further details: “We confirm the importance we attach to Cuba-EU relations and the potentialities that exist in various fields.”
Cuba and the Twenty-seven relaunched their relations in 2016 with the signing of the ADPC that put an end to 20 years of the so-called “common position”, much harsher against the regime in Havana. In any case, the pact is conditioned by the community bloc regarding human rights and democracy on the Island.
“We confirm the importance we attach to Cuba-EU relations and the potentialities that exist in various fields”
The negotiations between the Cuban government and the bloc became tense after, last March, the representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, reiterated the call “to respect human rights and freedoms”, to which he is subject, in theory, the agreement. He also did not sit well that the European foreign minister demanded that “all political prisoners” on the island be released.
“The EU follows with great concern the sentences in Cuba against people involved in the events of July 11 and 12,” said Borrell on behalf of the Twenty-seven.
In response, the Cuban foreign minister “strongly” rejected Borrell’s statements and stated that the European bloc lacks “the moral authority to make value judgments about the Cuban reality.”
Rodríguez then said that the European Union “should deal with its own problems and the frequent violations of human rights in its member states.”
The European bloc has defended the right to demonstrate and asked Havana to listen to the demands of its citizens who claim that the trials do not meet international standards and ask the Cuban regime to allow European diplomats to attend them.
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