EU, Cuba ink historic deal to mend ties

EU, Cuba ink historic deal to mend ties

PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Union and Cuba signed a deal to normalize relations, including an agreement on the delicate issue of human rights -- a breakthrough just ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's historic visit to the island, AFP reports.

The agreement, the culmination of nearly two years of negotiations, is a further step toward ending the communist country's status as a pariah in the West.

"This is a historic step in our relationship," said EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini at a signing ceremony in Havana.

"The agreement marks the beginning of a new era in our bilateral relations," she added, before heading to a meeting with Castro.

Cuba was previously the only country in Latin America without an international cooperation deal with the 28-member bloc.

The EU slapped sanctions on Cuba and suspended cooperation in 2003 over a crackdown on journalists and activists, and had since 1996 officially used its foreign policy to encourage human rights advances in the country.

"This accord marks the end of the common position," Mogherini said, according to AFP.

The European Parliament must still ratify the deal for it to take effect.

The two sides said in a statement that it set the stage for relations based on "respect, reciprocity and shared interests." The EU had said it was seeking a more constructive approach to engage Havana and persuade Castro's government to sign a series of international human rights treaties.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said the deal was the result of "a dynamic process that was not without complexity."

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