Brussels, 17/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - Initially foreseen for during the External Relations Council, discussions on Cuba have been deferred until the dinner attended by foreign ministers on Thursday 19 June, because of the very full agenda of the 16 June meeting. Ministers may reach agreement on the sidelines of the European Council to decide, during a forthcoming EU Council, to definitively lift diplomatic sanctions against the Cuban regime. The lifting of sanctions, however, should be accompanied by comprehensive dialogue, which not only covers political issues but also human rights, economic issues, and scientific and cultural matters. The exact wording has still to be found but Thursday's discussion should make it possible to win over member states that have so far been the most reticent, such as the Czech Republic. At present, the EU takes an annual decision to renew its common position of December 1996 on Cuba, while extending, since January 2005, the suspension of sanctions put in place after the crackdown on dissidents in 2003 (in the current situation, these sanctions may therefore still be reactivated). (A.B./transl.jl)