Brussels, 19/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - Louis Michel, European Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner, responsible for relations with ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) countries, has responded to Fidel Castro's announcement that he will be stepping down as President of the Council of Ministers and President of the Council of State of Cuba. Louis Michel took note of the announcement and expressed his “willingness to engage in a constructive political dialogue with the future successor to President Castro”. It is for this that he will be in Cuba on 6 and 7 March, the commissioner states in a declaration published on 19 February. Louis Michel welcomes the recent decision by the Cuban government to release a number of political prisoners on humanitarian grounds.
“This important unilateral decision, together with the recent announcement by the Cuban Government to sign the International Covenants on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and on Civil and Political Rights are positive steps that deserve to be acknowledged. The European Commission stands ready to continue working with the Cuban Government, in coordination with our European Union partners, to improve and deepen cooperation issues of common interest”, the declaration reads.
The progress that the commissioner plans to make in the process of dialogue with the Cuban government aims to achieve the objectives set out in the EU common position on Cuba, adopted in 1996 and renewed in 2007, states John Clancy, the commissioner's spokesman. The detailed agenda of Louis Michel's visit to Cuba has not yet been finalised, he added. We recall that Cuba is a full member of the ACP group, but has not signed the Cotonou Agreement linking the EU to 78 ACP countries. (A.N.)
“This resignation will invariably mark the beginning of the end of this Communist dictatorship”, Joseph Daul explains in a press release diffused the same day. “Once this island has returned to democracy and a market economy, one can hope that life for the Cuban population improves quickly”, the president of the EPP-ED group at the European Parliament said.
Before Fidel Castro's departure, “I hope that reform forces can come to power”, said Martin Schulz. “But behind his brother I hope there are a lot of people prepared to reform the country”, the PES group leader said, doubting, however that Fidel Castro is “entirely out of the political game”.
“We can only welcome the responsible decision taken by Cuban President Fidel Castro to create the conditions necessary for change up to the highest level of the state”, Fracis Wurtz said. The president of the GUE-NGL, who wants to believe in “conceptual and structural changes” evoked by Raoul Castro, calls on the EU to “lift the sanctions which continue to strike this country, which is already cruelly hit by the American blockade”. The EU27 should “modify the joint position of the Council which belongs to a bygone age, and … open up an unconditional political dialogue with Cuba”. She went on to add: “An opportunity has arisen to put relations on a normal footing: let's grab it!”. (A.N./A.B.)