FM Bruno Rodriguez Urges European Union to End Obsolete Policy towards Cuba

“The European Union’s common position must change because it amounts to interference and is obsolete,” said Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez following talks in Paris with the EU troika headed by his Spanish counterpart Miguel Angel Moratinos, who described the meeting as “constructive and positive.”

The Paris talks were held ahead of a meeting Monday in Luxembourg of EU foreign ministers who are to decide whether they want to change their so-called common position toward Cuba.

Spain, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, has argued that the position has yielded few results since it was adopted in 1996 and should be abandoned altogether.

According to a statement posted on the website of the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Bruno Rodriguez reiterated the island’s willingness to strengthen cooperation and continue the political dialogue with the European Union on reciprocal, unconditional and non-discriminatory grounds always respecting the principles of sovereignty and non interference in domestic affairs.