Date of release : 09-03-2005

Policy area : General Affairs and External Relations

On 8 March 2005, the Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs, Nicolas Schmit, had talks in Strasbourg with the Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister, Felipe Perez Roque.

Their meeting mainly focused on relations between the European Union and Cuba following the Cuban authorities’ decision at the beginning of the year to normalise relations with European embassies in Havana and the decision of the Council of Ministers of the European Union to suspend temporarily all measures taken with regard to Cuba in June 2003.

The Ministers discussed recent political and economic developments in Cuba. In his context, Nicolas Schmit indicated that the European Union is prepared to continue constructive dialogue with the Cuban authorities with the aim of achieving tangible results in the political and economic sphere, and as regards cooperation and human rights.

With regard to respect for human rights, the Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs reiterated the EU’s call for the release of all the political prisoners who were part of the group of 75 political prisoners jailed in March 2003, and strongly urged the Cuban authorities to free all other political prisoners who are still held in prison.

This dialogue forms part of the European Union’s common position on Cuba; Mr Schmit therefore issued a reminder that the suspension of the measures taken by the European Union on 5 June 2003 will be reviewed prior to July 2005, under the Luxembourg Presidency, in the light of developments on the island.