11.05.2007 - 09:25 CET | By Andrew Rettman
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The German EU presidency is likely to shelve an
EU strategy paper on Cuba that was due to be published next month after
a drive by the Czech Republic to insert new "operational ideas" on EU
pro-democracy projects in the Caribbean dictatorship lead to Spanish
blockage of the document.
"The most likely scenario is that the [EU] council will issue a note
praising progress in the work so far. I don't think it will be dropped
altogether but it will not be finished in time," an EU official said,
with Berlin having planned to publish the Cuba paper at an EU foreign
ministers meeting on 18 June.
The disagreement stems from Spain's push to have closer EU links with
the Castro regime, arguing that engagement will help ensure peaceful
succession of power after Fidel Castro dies and open room for human
rights discussions, while fearing that any racy new EU strategy paper
could see Cuba turn its back.
When Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos visited the island
last month - breaking an EU taboo on high-level diplomatic contact - he
declined to meet any dissidents, but launched a new "human rights"
dialogue with Havana, which later released a handful of political prisoners.
Greece and Cyprus back Spain's position in the EU council, which takes
all foreign policy decisions by unanimity. But a larger group led by the
Czech Republic and including Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark,
Ireland and Portugal believe the EU should be helping opposition groups
get ready for Castro's departure.
Meanwhile, Prague-based group People in Need has accused Spain of
protecting national commercial interests at the expense of EU values,
with Spanish firm Repsol YPF bidding for Cuban oil contracts. Havana's
hollow promise on human rights talks and the prisoners gesture is
designed to help Madrid sell its ideas in Brussels, the NGO says.
"We have an economic interest there, but the [Moratinos] visit was a
purely political visit," a Spanish foreign ministry spokesman said. "The
US also has commercial interests...Spain, with the history it has [as a
former colonial power in Cuba] cannot stay out of this in the future."
"The EU should be a leading supporter of democracy and human rights in
the world, so we wanted Europe to take political steps [on Cuba]," a
diplomat from a member state that opposes Spain's position said. He
added that the draft strategy paper, in the form acceptable to Madrid,
was so devoid of content it became "unusable."
The 18 June foreign ministers meeting is also set to decide whether or
not to restart EU diplomatic sanctions against Cuba, in line with a
regular review timetable. The sanctions were suspended in 2005 due to
Spanish pressure, with ongoing Spanish opposition set to preserve the
status quo.
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