Michael Creed
Question:168 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the US trade sanctions against Cuba. [21500/00]
Written Answers. - Trade Sanctions.
The Government is opposed to the US economic embargo imposed against Cuba. We are joined in this opposition by our European Union partners. We want to see this embargo end. We have consistently expressed our view in this regard to the US Government and we have regularly supported resolutions in the UN General Assembly calling for an end to the embargo.
It is encouraging to note that there has been some recent progress on this matter. Following developments during the summer in both the US Senate and House of Representatives, Senate and House leaders on 5 October agreed provisions lifting restrictions on the sale of food and medicines to Cuba. If these measures are approved by formal vote, they will represent a significant partial step towards lifting the embargo.
EU policy towards Cuba is defined by the common position adopted in December 1996. The aim of the common position is not to enforce by external coercion of any kind but to encourage a peaceful transition to democratic pluralism, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and a sustainable increase in the living standards of the Cuban people. While opposed to such isolating measures as the economic embargo, the common position nevertheless is obliged to make clear that wholehearted EU co-operation with Cuba is unavoidably inhibited by the absence of fundamental human and political rights.
The common position is subject to six-monthly review and was reconfirmed at the General Affairs Council on 8 June last. This followed a careful evaluation of the situation in Cuba over the previous six months which led to the inescapable conclusion that there had been no substantive change as regards basic political and human rights, and there appeared to be no early prospect of evolution towards pluralistic democracy. Nevertheless, it was agreed that the Union should deploy further efforts to engage the Cuban authorities in a constructive and frank dialogue in the political, economic and human rights spheres.
I should also mention that at its most recent session in March/April 2000, the UN Commission on Human Rights adopted, with EU support, a resolution criticising Cuba's human rights performance, and calling on it to co-operate with all human rights mechanisms of the UN. The EU, in a comment on the resolution, also expressed continuing concern about the impact on Cuba of the economic embargo. Following the adoption of the resolution, Cuba withdrew an invitation to a European Union Troika at Deputy Foreign Minister level, which was due to visit Havana at the end of April. Cuba also withdrew its application to join the new ACP Convention.
Nevertheless, Ireland and its EU partners continue to believe that confidence-building measures should be pursued with Cuba in the spirit of the common position.
The Government welcomes the current moves in the US Congress to modify at least the food and medicine elements of the economic embargo as a helpful and positive step, pending a complete and definitive lifting of the embargo as a whole.