Brussels, 02/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 1 July, the European Union called on the US to lift the embargo against Cuba as relations between the two countries are now improving.
“The EU encourages both sides to continue working on some outstanding issues, in particular the lifting of the embargo, which is an outdated and inconsistent instrument within the evolving context”, said High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini in a press release. US President Barack Obama has asked Congress to approve the lifting of the embargo, but Congress is controlled by Republicans, who are in large part against this.
Mogherini welcomed Obama's announcement and that of his Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro, about the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the re-opening of their embassies. This is “a truly historic milestone on the path towards the full normalisation of relations between the countries” and “an encouraging signal for the international community, showing that relations between the two countries have entered a new phase through negotiations”, Mogherini's spokesperson stated. A US embassy will open in Havana at the end of July and a Cuban mission will be opened in Washington.
As Mogherini had already stated during her visit to Cuba and at the political dialogue in Brussels, her spokesperson confirmed that the EU was ready to accompany Cuba further in its modernisation process. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)