Spain urges Cuba to show willingness on human rights

Madrid - Spain on Monday urged Cuba to show willingness to respect human rights so that Madrid could persuade the European Union to upgrade its relations with the island. A Cuban "engagement" was necessary in order to persuade EU foreign policy director Catherine Ashton and EU leaders to accept changes to the EU's 1996 common position on Cuba, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said.

Moratinos, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, spoke at a joint press conference with Ashton and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim in Madrid. The meeting between the three did not deal with the EU's relations with Cuba.

The EU's current Cuba policy links dialogue to democracy and freedoms on the island.

That policy had yielded few results, Moratinos said, explaining that Spain would seek a more flexible approach.

"The question will be discussed at working groups and we will see what degree of consensus we can reach on the European level," the minister said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/309388,spain-urges-cuba-to-show-willingness-on-human-rights.html.