Vol. 557 No. 2
93 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will work closely with the Cuban Government in order to develop the relationship between Ireland and Cuba, particularly in relation to trade training, FÁS projects, health, education and tourism; and his proposals to develop this relationship. [21428/02]
144 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he supports and envisages a revision on the Common Position of the European Union in relation to Cuba; if the revision contained in the communiqué issued at the end of November 2001 following a meeting with the EU ambassadors and the Foreign Ministry of Cuba prevails; the status of this statement in relation to the conclusion offered at the end of the Belgian Presidency of the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21435/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 and 144 together.
The communiqué issued on 2 December 2001 following the EU-Cuba political dialogue meeting in Havana, expressed mutual satisfaction at the resumption of the long-standing dialogue, which had been broken off by Cuba in April 2000 following support by EU member states for a resolution critical of Cuba at the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. The communiqué contains no revision of the common position, which was renewed by the General Affairs Council 10 December 2001 when the Council noted that the situation in Cuba was still "seriously wanting as regards the recognition and application of civil and political freedoms", and endorsed again on 17 June 2002 when the Council reiterated that:
the objective of the European Union towards Cuba remains the encouragement of a process of transition to a pluralist democracy, the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as an economic recovery that allows an improvement in the living standards of the Cuban people. The Council expects positive steps by the Cuban Government, which will lead to real reforms towards a political system, based on democratic values. In this sense, the Council follows with interest the evolution of the Varela project, legally based on the constitution, and encourages the Cuban Government to consider it as a legitimate initiative since it represents an important effort to introduce these reforms.
At the EU-Cuba political dialogue meeting in Copenhagen on 4 November 2002, the EU Troika again urged the Cuban side to give a positive response to the Varela project, a popular Cuban initiative legitimately based on the provisions of the Cuban constitution itself, with the aim of fostering the development of pluralist democracy.
At the same meeting, the EU also again suggested that it would be helpful if Cuba were to ratify the United Nations Convention on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
While acknowledging progress in, for example, the area of religious freedom, the EU delegation expressed its deep concern regarding the constant harassment of political dissidents and the continuing plight of political prisoners, some of whom have serious health problems.
