Brussels, 05/01/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has welcomed the decision of the Cuban government on Monday (EUROPE yesterday p 4) to re-open official contacts with some EU Member States: France, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Austria, Greece, Portugal and Sweden (those with Spain and Hungary have already been re-established). Françoise Le Bail, the Commission spokesperson declared on Wednesday that this was a positive development and a step in the right direction. Nonetheless, she did criticise the selective nature of the Cuban decision, which at this stage, only aims to include Member States which have a position that is more or less in favour of a softening or total removal of the EU's diplomatic sanctions in place since June 2003, following the arrest of a large number of dissidents. The spokesperson considers that diplomatic relations had to be re-established with all Member States.