EU official backs talks with Cuba
Campaign News | Sunday, 19 October 2008
Support to talks, boost of cooperation and mutual respect should be foundations of a new stage the relations between the European Union (EU) and Cuba, said on Sunday a prestigious parliament member of the bloc.
In an interview with Prensa Latina, European Parliament (EP) Vicepresident Miguel Angel Moratinos highlighted that the beginning of the EU-Cuba talks is the return to the natural state of their relations, which should have never been broken.
"To me, personally, after sixyears of struggle, it means success and great joy, because the problem here was not any privilege to Cubans, but to return to a normal policy," he said.
Since former head of government Jose Maria Aznar adopted those guidelines, at the service of the United States, at last, with the help of the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE), my organization, a positive step has been taken, he said.
Martinez praised the recent visit to Madrid by Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, his meetings with his Spanish peer Miguel Angel Moratinos and later, the meeting in Paris with the EU Troika.
"Two high-ranking officials, in charge of Cooperation, Captain Louis Michel (EU) and Joseph Borrel (Eurocahmber) will travel to Havana in the coming days, to continue what should become in a bridge of understanding," he said.
The minister of the PE group of friendship and solidarity with the Cuban people said that however, rightwing points of view prevailed in the heart of the European Union and they would try to change the correlation.
"We can not lower our guard. There are reactionary members in the EU that with their actions, end up agreeing with George W. Bush's policy. In fact, this can happen next year with the Czech Republic or Sweden," he said.
Maybe with another administration in Washington, the relations with the EU improve, but after the year 2008, in which we have been able to work with Slovenia and France, it will be the turn of the Czechs and the Swedish, two half-yearly presidents that will slow down the policy towards Cuba, he said.
In this respect, Martinez explained that in any case, Prague or Stockholm will be able to move backwards the agreements in the bilateral relation already established.
Anyway, Spain will assumed the leadership in the first semester of 2010, and we will work to boost collaboration with the Island, he concluded.
