Memorandum of Vienna

Memorandum of Vienna

Declaration of the International Committee for Democracy in Cuba to the
participants of the 4th Summit of the European Union and
the Latin America and the Caribbean in Vienna

May 10, 2006
Vienna, Austria

The International Committee for Democracy in Cuba (ICDC) is a gathering
of prominent politicians and intellectuals founded by the former Czech
President Václav Havel. The ICDC was created in reaction to the
crackdown against the democratic opposition in Cuba in March 2003 and
its aim is to promote democratic change in Cuba and seek support for
Cuban opposition. Members of the ICDC include Madeleine Albright, former
secretary of state of the United States of America; Patricio Aylwin,
former president of Chile; José María Aznar, former prime minister of
Spain; Elena Bonner, former Soviet dissident; Arpad Gönz, former
president of Hungary; Václav Havel, former president of the Czech
Republic; Adam Michnik, former dissident and editor-in-chief of the
daily Gazeta Wyborcza; and others.

Memorandum of Vienna

Participants of the 4th Summit of
the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean (EU - LAC)

May 10, 2006

The International Committee for Democracy in Cuba (ICDC) would like to
welcome participants of the IV Meeting of the European Union, Latin
America and the Caribbean and propose the following issues for
consideration by participating states. These are based on the monitoring
of the human rights situation in Cuba carried out by the ICDC and the
goals developed in the Prague Memorandum.

On May 19th, the new Human Rights Council of the United Nations in
Geneva will be named. The Republic of Cuba voted for the establishment
of that institution yet the Cuban authorities have repeatedly failed to
demonstrate commitment to the defence of democratic values. Due to its
permanent breach of international agreements related to human rights
abuses, such as the Viña del Mar Declaration , we request that members
of the EU-LAC and of the United Nations challenge Cuba's entry to the
Human Rights Council and demand its adherence to the rights and
liberties enunciated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

As the date approaches for the revision by the Council of the European
Union of the diplomatic sanctions applied to Cuba , and taking into
account the increase in repressive measures against political opponents
by the Cuban security agencies, we appeal to the Council of the European
Union to assume a critical attitude when determining new common policy
towards the government of Havana. There are a number of reasons to
assume that the policy of dialogue endorsed by some EU countries has not
delivered improvements to the benefit of democracy. The Spanish Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Miguel Angel Moratinos, one of main supporters of a
policy of constructive dialogue with Fidel Castro, recently stated that
“We are in contact with the Cuban authorities to improve global
relationships”. This indicates that the subject may be included in the
agenda of the IV Meeting of the EU-LAC. If this were to happen, we would
welcome the initiative and hope that as a result of those negotiations,
a stronger unified European policy may develop and that Cuba would
demonstrate a solid commitment to the restoration of a genuine
democratic system.

We would like to use the opportunity of the presence of Latin American
governments and European Union representatives in Vienna to request
that, when considering the issue of Cuba, they maintain the strong
democratic principles on which their countries were based. We ask for
their embassies in Havana to remain open to the democratic opposition,
to provide concrete assistance to independent civil society and not to
give in to pressure from local authorities . As the victims of European
communism and dictatorships in Spain, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay know,
recognition from the democratic community of nations is essential if
those dissidents struggling for a return to freedom are to continue to
fight oppression.

In light of these circumstances, the ICDC would like to reiterate, by
means of Vienna Memorandum, its commitment to all democrats, Cubans and
non-Cubans, willing to look for non-violent paths towards democracy and
who struggle for the return of Cuba to the community of democratic nations.

Signatures on behalf the International Committee for the Democracy in Cuba

Philip Dimitrov, Bulgaria, former prime minister
Václav Havel, Czech Republic, former president
Ferenc Köszeg, Hungary, president of Hungarian Helsinki Committee
Mart Laar, Estonia, former prime minister
Vytautas Landsbergis, Lithuania, former head of state
Cecilia Malmström, Sweden, Member of the European Parliament
Edward McMillan-Scott, United Kingdom, Vice-President of the European
Parliament
Markus Meckel, Germany, Member of Parliament
Rexhep Meidani, Albania, former president
Adam Michnik, Poland, former dissident and editor-in-chief of the daily
Gazeta Wyborcza
Luis Alberto Monge Alvarez, Costa Rica, former president
Karel Schwarzenberg, Czech Republic, Senator
Arnold Vaatz, Germany, Member of Parliament

http://www.miscelaneasdecuba.net/web/article.asp?artID=5438