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Spain resumes aid to Cuba for human rights deal
Spain has promised to resume development aid to Cuba in return for Havana's pledge to open dialogue on human rights. Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos held talks with Cuba's acting president, Raul Castro late on Tuesday. The visit "continues developing the fixed objectives," said Moratinos, referring to the resumption of aid. Moratinos added: "That is the great news. (Aid) had been suspended for many years and we're going to resume cooperating with the Cuban goverment." Havana stopped accepting development assistance from EU member-states in the summer of 2003 during the diplomatic crisis between Cuba and Brussels sparked by the Castro government's execution of three ferry hijackers and imprisonment of 75 peaceful dissidents. The Spanish government, headed at the time by conservative Premier Jose Maria Aznar, led the push for EU sanctions against Cuba. Moratinos did not mention the possible areas of dialogue that could be pursued with the Cuban government regarding human rights, one of the most sensitive issues for the Havana regime. But he did say that "logically" the matter had been part of the visit's agenda. Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said on Monday Havana was ready to begin a dialogue with Spain on the matter and set up a formal mechanism for the talks. "Cuba is willing to do so (talk with Spain about human rights) at this time. With the European Union, there would have to be conditions like the full elimination of the sanctions against Cuba, the elimination of the common position," he said. Officials with the Spanish delegation did not say anything about a possible meeting with Cuban dissidents, something that does not appear on the Spanish minister's official agenda. Posted by: Seafarious 2007-04-05 |
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