04/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - In a statement published on Tuesday 4 March, the Slovenian EU Council Presidency welcomes the announcement made on 28 February by Cuba's Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque that Cuba has signed the “International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights”. The “EU has long sought the universal ratification of these core instruments of international human rights law and the signing by Cuba of both covenants represents a positive development”, the press release states. The EU encourages Cuba to continue with these positive developments and to further strengthen its cooperation with the international human rights mechanisms. The Presidency concludes by saying that it “looks forward to the implementation of these legally binding human rights obligations by Cuba”. (H.B.)