Federica Mogherini and President Castro in Cuba.
By Baron Henri Estramant.
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini and Commissioner Neven Mimica in charge of International Cooperation and Development, paid a two-days official visit to Cuba on 10 and 11 March 2016. They were joined by staff of the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) “Environmental Foundations for Local Food Sustainability” (BASAL), co-funded by the EU and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
H. R. Mogherini co-chaired the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue with Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez Parilla during which they discussed a whole range of areas of common interest.
The High Representative & Vice-President likewise held multilateral meetings with the Foreign Affairs Minister of Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez Parilla well as Vice-president of the Council of Ministers, Minister of Economy and Planning, Marino Murillo. A deal was then inked guaranteeing further 50 million Euros from the EU for the islands’ development (period 2014-2020), thereby ending about 20 years of icy relations Cuba-EU. This announcement came also before the programmed visit of US President Barack Obama to the Republic of Cuba on 20/21 March 2016.
This visit took place one year after HR/VP Mogherini first visited to the country, and follows up on the political dialogue which took place in April 2015 at Brussels.
For more information:
EU relations with Cuba: http://eeas.europa.eu/top_stories/2016/110316_hrvp-in-cuba_en.htm
Mission of Cuba to the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg, H. E. Ambassador Norma Goicochea Estenoz: www.embacuba.be
Embassy of Cuba to The Netherlands, Mission to the OPCW, H. E. Ambassador Fermín Quiñones Sánchez: www.cubadiplomatica.cu/holanda/EN/Mission/Embassy.aspx
Photography by EEAS.
