Sweden and Cuba in diplomatic crisis
Published: 21st March 2007 13:39 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/6758/
A diplomatic crisis has developed between Sweden and Cuba. The Cuban
ambassador has been called to the foreign ministry after it was
discovered that Cuban officials had opened Swedish diplomatic post.
Carl Bildt has also accused a Cuban delegate to the UN of "using
unacceptable language".
The row began when Foreign Minister Carl Bildt gave a speech to the UN
Human Rights Council, in which he criticized Cuba's human rights record.
Rodolfo Reyes Rodriguez, Cuba's delegate to the Human Rights Council, is
quoted as having said that "Cuba, unlike Sweden, does not persecute
migrants or carry out ethnic cleansing that only allows those whose skin
and hair color fit with the racial patterns of former Viking conquerors
to remain in the country".
Bildt issued a swift condemnation of Rodriguez' comments on Wednesday.
"It is completely unacceptable language."
The foreign ministry called in Cuba's ambassador in Stockholm to explain
the comments and apologize on his country's behalf. Some time later the
foreign ministry discovered that its diplomatic post had been opened by
the Cubans. This too Bildt described as entirely unacceptable.
"The Cuban ambassador is going to be called in again," he said.
"When we put forward the view that respect for human freedoms and rights
were lacking in Cuba, it led to a furious outburst from the Cuban
ambassador about Sweden's blood, colonialism, imperialism, Vikings and
oppression and so on and so forth. We have said that this is an
unacceptable use of language," said Bildt.
"We'll see if the Cubans explain themselves. We have demanded an
explanation and an apology but I'm not sure I have such high
expectations of this Cuban regime," he added.
Bildt conceded that the situation was now so serious that it could be
designated a diplomatic crisis.
"The UN has a responsibility to supervise respect for human rights and
human freedoms. Both are rather restricted in Cuba and it is our duty to
say so. It should not lead to the sort of hysterical attack on an entire
nation such as that made by the Cubans," said Bildt.
Have the Cubans started opening Swedish diplomatic post?
"We have had one case where out diplomatic sacks were opened. That is
serious. There are international conventions about this sort of thing,
so we are going to take that up too," said Bildt.
Rodolfo Reyes Rodriguez has accused Bildt of hypocrisy after the foreign
minister failed to mention the Guantanamo base in Cuba or the
American-led war in Iraq during his speech on human rights.
He also asserted that Cuba had been granted a place on the Human Rights
Council, a post for which Sweden was not considered worthy. On balance,
he thought it might have been better if Bildt had stayed in Stockholm.
http://www.thelocal.se/6758/
Published: 21st March 2007 13:39 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/6758/
A diplomatic crisis has developed between Sweden and Cuba. The Cuban
ambassador has been called to the foreign ministry after it was
discovered that Cuban officials had opened Swedish diplomatic post.
Carl Bildt has also accused a Cuban delegate to the UN of "using
unacceptable language".
The row began when Foreign Minister Carl Bildt gave a speech to the UN
Human Rights Council, in which he criticized Cuba's human rights record.
Rodolfo Reyes Rodriguez, Cuba's delegate to the Human Rights Council, is
quoted as having said that "Cuba, unlike Sweden, does not persecute
migrants or carry out ethnic cleansing that only allows those whose skin
and hair color fit with the racial patterns of former Viking conquerors
to remain in the country".
Bildt issued a swift condemnation of Rodriguez' comments on Wednesday.
"It is completely unacceptable language."
The foreign ministry called in Cuba's ambassador in Stockholm to explain
the comments and apologize on his country's behalf. Some time later the
foreign ministry discovered that its diplomatic post had been opened by
the Cubans. This too Bildt described as entirely unacceptable.
"The Cuban ambassador is going to be called in again," he said.
"When we put forward the view that respect for human freedoms and rights
were lacking in Cuba, it led to a furious outburst from the Cuban
ambassador about Sweden's blood, colonialism, imperialism, Vikings and
oppression and so on and so forth. We have said that this is an
unacceptable use of language," said Bildt.
"We'll see if the Cubans explain themselves. We have demanded an
explanation and an apology but I'm not sure I have such high
expectations of this Cuban regime," he added.
Bildt conceded that the situation was now so serious that it could be
designated a diplomatic crisis.
"The UN has a responsibility to supervise respect for human rights and
human freedoms. Both are rather restricted in Cuba and it is our duty to
say so. It should not lead to the sort of hysterical attack on an entire
nation such as that made by the Cubans," said Bildt.
Have the Cubans started opening Swedish diplomatic post?
"We have had one case where out diplomatic sacks were opened. That is
serious. There are international conventions about this sort of thing,
so we are going to take that up too," said Bildt.
Rodolfo Reyes Rodriguez has accused Bildt of hypocrisy after the foreign
minister failed to mention the Guantanamo base in Cuba or the
American-led war in Iraq during his speech on human rights.
He also asserted that Cuba had been granted a place on the Human Rights
Council, a post for which Sweden was not considered worthy. On balance,
he thought it might have been better if Bildt had stayed in Stockholm.
http://www.thelocal.se/6758/
No comments:
Post a Comment