Federica Mogherini meets with the Foreign Minister of Cuba

Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, met today in Brussels with Cuba’s Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez, to discuss bilateral relations and latest developments in the region.

The European Union-Cuba relations have been reinforced under the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement and both the High Representative and the Minister expressed satisfaction on the progress. They also discussed preparations for the next meeting of the EU-Cuba Joint Council scheduled for September.

The decision of the United States to end the suspension of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act was also on the agenda. Regretting the US decision, both the EU and Cuba believe the extraterritorial application of the Act is contrary to international law. Federica Mogherini and Bruno Rodriguez exchanged also views on next steps.

Finally, they also spoke about the latest developments in the region, in particular in Venezuela, where there is an urgent need to promote a peaceful and democratic solution to the crisis.