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International Agreements

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 February 2019

Wednesday, 27 February 2019

Ceisteanna (21, 25, 30)

Maureen O'Sullivan

Ceist:

21. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when Ireland will ratify the Political Dialogue and Co-operation Agreement on the EU and Cuba. [9691/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Thomas Pringle

Ceist:

25. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when Ireland will ratify the Political Dialogue and Co-operation Agreement between the EU and Cuba; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9437/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Seán Crowe

Ceist:

30. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Co-operation Agreement will be ratified (details supplied). [9637/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 21, 25 and 30 together.

The Government fully supports the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA), which was signed by each EU Member State and the Cuban Minister for Foreign Affairs in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council in December 2016. This is the first bilateral agreement between the EU and Cuba. Its signature marked a further positive step forward in relations between Cuba and the EU, which have improved considerably in recent years.

The agreement is robust and comprehensive, consisting of three main pillars, namely Political Dialogue, Cooperation and Sectoral Policy Dialogue, and Trade and Trade Cooperation. The core aim of the PDCA is to open channels of dialogue and cooperation between the EU and Cuba in order to assist the modernisation of the Cuban economy and society, strengthen human rights and democracy, and work together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

In July 2017, the European Parliament voted to endorse the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement. While most of the Agreement has been provisionally applied since November 2017, its full application will require ratification by the EU once Member States have completed their own internal legal procedures. A number of remaining Member States, including Ireland, have yet to complete their internal procedures. The process, involving my Department and the Oireachtas, has been initiated and we are committed to completing it at the earliest possible opportunity.

The entry into force of the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement and improvements in the EU-Cuba relationship will in turn have helpful consequences for the Ireland-Cuba relationship. Ireland has a positive relationship with Cuba and this year marks the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries.

The visit of President Higgins to the island in 2017 was a high point in our relations and facilitated the strengthening of ties between our two countries. This visit also highlighted the interesting shared history between the two countries, with Irish emigrants having contributed to the economic, cultural and political evolution of Cuba over the years, and Cuban leaders having been influenced by the leaders of the Irish revolutionary and independence movements.

This high-level engagement continued with the visit of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Ana Teresita González, to Dublin for political consultations in October 2018, and with Minister of State for Disability Issues, Finian McGrath T.D., scheduled to visit Cuba over the St Patrick's Day period next month.

My assessment is that the PDCA provides a solid framework and welcome opportunity to strengthen both EU-Cuba and Ireland-Cuba relations. I look forward to continued positive developments in the period ahead, including the announcement of completion by Ireland of the internal legal procedures necessary for EU ratification.

Questions Nos. 22 and 23 answered with Question No. 10.
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