EU, Cuba prepare to start negotiations

EU, Cuba prepare to start negotiations

Published March 18, 2014

EFE



Authorities of the European Union and Cuba are actively working to start

official negotiations on a political dialogue and cooperation agreement,

EU sources said Tuesday.



"Both parties are proposing dates, not as a question of tactics but

simply of scheduling," one source said about the timing of the formal

startup of talks.



EU foreign ministers approved Feb. 10 the mandate to begin negotiating

the first framework accord with Cuba.



"That same day the EU sent a formal invitation saying that we are

prepared to negotiate. They took awhile to answer (March 6), but that's

normal since they had to consult different government departments," an

EU official said.



The decision has been taken by consensus to hold the first round of

talks in Havana.



The EU and Cuba hope to hold a round of discussions every two months,

between which they will maintain informal contacts, the EU foreign

service's top official for the Americas, Christian Leffler, said in an

appearance before the European Parliament.



The European authority recalled that the goal of the accord that the EU

seeks with Cuba "is not fundamentally" to change its policy toward the

island, which will retain its existing objectives of defending and

promoting human rights and encouraging democratic changes, but to find a

different "focus."



The negotiation of the agreement will take place, in any case, with the

"common position" in effect, the unilateral and restrictive policy that

has governed EU relations with Havana since 1996. EFE



Source: EU, Cuba prepare to start negotiations | Fox News Latino -

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2014/03/18/eu-cuba-prepare-to-start-negotiations/