Brussels, 09/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - The EU has welcomed the release of 52 political prisoners held in Cuba but it is not yet known whether this gesture, announced by President Raul Castro during a meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos in La Havana on 8 July, will be enough to allow the EU to review its policy towards Cuba in depth. “I welcome the announcement that 52 Cuban political prisoners will be released and look forward to the rapid implementation of this decision”, commented Catherine Ashton, the EU high representative for foreign affairs. The EU has been following with great interest the dialogue between the Catholic Church in Cuba and the Cuban government, and hopes that this dialogue will lead to the release of all political prisoners. “The EU stands ready to work closely with the Cuban authorities and the Catholic Church to support this process”, Ashton said, thanking Moratinos in particular for the work he has done to facilitate dialogue between the Cuban government and the Catholic Church.
The Spanish foreign minister, who presided over the EU General Affairs Council for the first half of this year, felt the time has now come to amend the EU common position on Cuba. Adopted in 1996, the common position makes dialogue between the EU and Cuba subject to respect of human rights and to democratic progress on the island. In 2003, following the arrest of 75 dissidents, the EU had taken diplomatic sanctions and suspended political dialogue with La Havana. In 2008, these sanctions were lifted and political dialogue was resumed (including on human rights), as was development cooperation. With the announced release of the 52 prisoners, there is now no reason not to amend the 1996 common position to introduce a fundamental change in EU/Cuba relations, Moratinos said. Annual assessment of the 1996 common position is scheduled for this autumn, probably at the Foreign Affairs Council on 13 September (although, as Ashton's inner circle points out, no decision has yet been taken regarding the date). In June, the 27 EU foreign ministers held a debate on the situation in Cuba but, pending developments on the dossier relating to political prisoners, they had agreed to return to the matter “in the near future”.
On Catherine Ashton's side, there is caution. The policy will be reviewed “in the light of concrete progress made by then”. From this point of view, “the release of political prisoners from the island is a very positive development”, it is explained by those close to the EU foreign policy chief. Steven Vanackere, Belgian Foreign Minister who currently presides the General Affairs Council, said he hoped this will be a “breakthrough in a process that can lead to lasting improvement in EU/Cuba relations”. “This development will be along the lines of the objectives of the EU, in this case at the level of human rights and fundamental freedoms”, he said. Countries of Central Europe, with the Czech Republic and Poland to the fore, are adamant about there being a significant change in the Cuban regime when it comes to human rights and freedom of expression. “We must wait for the promises of the Cuban government to be realised. If they are, the Czech Republic will take this into account in its discussions with the EU”, the spokesman for the Czech Ministry for Foreign Affairs told AFP. Unanimity is required in the Council to amend the common position. (H.B./transl.jl)