EU, Cuba enter difficult phase of bilateral talks, focus on political pact

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

World | Thu Sep 10, 2015 7:53pm EDT

EU, Cuba enter difficult phase of bilateral talks, focus on political pact

HAVANA | BY DANIEL TROTTA

The European Union and Cuba entered the most difficult phase of their bilateral talks on Thursday when they started to discuss a new political agreement to replace a unilateral policy imposed by the Europeans 19 years ago.

The two sides have met five times over the past year-and-a-half in search of a far-reaching accord. Both sides reported on Thursday that two of the three pillars of a deal, on trade and cooperation, were basically finished, and they started talking about a political agreement between the 28-nation bloc and the communist-run Caribbean island.

The EU's decision last year to open talks was a victory in itself for Cuba as a European acknowledgment it would have to scrap its "common position," which placed a priority on democratic reforms and improved human rights in Cuba.

Cuba has always rejected foreign suggestions it should change its one-party system or that human rights on the island were lacking. Historically the loudest calls came from the United States but in 1996 were echoed by the EU, which adopted the common position at the urging of Spain's conservative former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/10/us-cuba-eu-idUSKCN0RA2US20150910

[Peace Patriot]

1. Bush Jr. pal Aznar committed many dirty deeds.

Glad he's gone!

Historically the loudest calls (against Cuba) came from the United States but in 1996 were echoed by the EU, which adopted the common position at the urging of Spain's conservative former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.--from the OP (my emphasis)