published: 15.06.2009, 12:02 | updated: 15.06.2009 12:06:25
Luxembourg - The situation of human rights observance in Cuba is not
improving, but the EU will probably support the continuation of
political talks with Havana in spite of it, Czech Foreign Minister Jan
Kohout said today before a meeting with the EU countries' counterparts.
"The state of human rights in Cuba - and I think this (EU) council will
state it , too - is no reason for a great satisfaction," said Kohout,
who will chair the meeting of the EU countries' foreign ministers as a
representative of the EU- presiding Czech Republic.
Last June the EU agreed to lift sanctions against Cuba and open a
political dialogue with Havana. Consequently, the EU and Cuban
representatives started meeting officially.
The Czech Republic was the only member country to challenge the decision.
Czech representatives in the end agreed with the step on condition that
the EU policy towards Cuba was re-assessed every year and that apart
from the talks with the Cuban regime, the EU also focused on political
prisoners and contacts with the Cuban opposition.
The EU countries' foreign ministers will today debate the developments
in Cuba.
Kohout said though only minimal progress had been achieved in human
rights observance in Cuba in the past year, the EU ministers would
probably push for the political dialogue with Cuba to continue.
Czech ForMin criticises human rights situation in Cuba - ČeskéNoviny.cz
(15 June 2009)
http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/news/zpravy/czech-formin-criticises-human-rights-situation-in-cuba/382707
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