Spain urges Cuba to show willingness on human rights

Spain urges Cuba to show willingness on human rights
Posted : Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:38:14 GMT
By : dpa
Category : Europe (World)

Madrid - Spain on Monday urged Cuba to show willingness to respect human
rights so that Madrid could persuade the European Union to upgrade its
relations with the island. A Cuban "engagement" was necessary in order
to persuade EU foreign policy director Catherine Ashton and EU leaders
to accept changes to the EU's 1996 common position on Cuba, Spanish
Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said.

Moratinos, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, spoke at a
joint press conference with Ashton and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso
Amorim in Madrid. The meeting between the three did not deal with the
EU's relations with Cuba.

The EU's current Cuba policy links dialogue to democracy and freedoms on
the island.

That policy had yielded few results, Moratinos said, explaining that
Spain would seek a more flexible approach.

"The question will be discussed at working groups and we will see what
degree of consensus we can reach on the European level," the minister said.

Copyright DPA

Spain urges Cuba to show willingness on human rights : Europe World (15
February 2010)
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/309388,spain-urges-cuba-to-show-willingness-on-human-rights.html