EU, Rio Group back Mexico in flu spat with Cuba

EU, Rio Group back Mexico in flu spat with Cuba
Posted : Wed, 13 May 2009 17:17:43 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : America (World)
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Prague - The European Union's foreign ministers and their Latin American
counterparts Wednesday backed Mexico in a row with Cuba over whether the
country has dealt with the swine flu epidemic in a transparent way. The
EU and the Rio Group, an organization of Latin American and Caribbean
states, acknowledged in a statement "the enormous efforts the Mexican
authorities have made in a transparent way to contain the spread of the
virus."

Cuba's retired leader Fidel Castro recently accused Mexico of hiding the
A (H1N1) influenza epidemic from the world because of a visit by US
President Barack Obama in mid-April, shortly before the swine flu
outbreak caused worldwide concern.

Mexico, from where the new virus has spread, has denied such claims.

"From the very beginning when we discovered this new virus, the Mexican
government applied the policy of transparency," Foreign Minister
Patricia Espinosa said after Rio Group's talks with EU officials in Prague.

Mexico currently chairs the Latin American grouping, of which Cuba, a
communist island
country, is a fresh member.

The two blocs agreed to "continue to act in a strong and decisive
manner" to face the epidemic and to overcome its economic fallout.

Mexico called on the EU to help salvage its reputation as a tourist
destination tarnished by the swine flu, which was so far confirmed to
have infected nearly 6,000 people worldwide and killed over 60 patients,
mostly in Mexico.

"It is very important that the EU helps us to put across the message
that Mexico is a safe country," Espinosa said.

"We have our hotels. We have our infrastructure," she said. "We are
ready and waiting to receive tourists and to receive investors."

EU foreign affairs commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said that the
influenza epidemic had stabilized. "I think we can try to get back to
normal as soon as possible," she said.

The EU and the Rio Group also agreed to cooperate in the run-up to a
United Nations climate conference to be held in Copenhagen in December
with aim to strike there "an ambitious, fair and effective global
agreement" on fighting global warming.

The deal would replace the existing Kyoto Protocol from 2013.

EU, Rio Group back Mexico in flu spat with Cuba - Summary : America
World (13 May 2009)

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/268689,eu-rio-group-back-mexico-in-flu-spat-with-cuba.html