MIGUEL Angel Moratinos and Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, foreign ministers of the Kingdom of Spain and the Republic of Cuba respectively, presided over a working meeting yesterday morning at the Cuban Foreign Ministry, to evaluate the progress of the links between the two nations and relations between the European Union and Cuba.

The Cuban foreign minister welcomed his Spanish counterpart and referred to the "intense work being undertaken by the Cuban people in order to move forward under the weight of an economic, commercial, and financial blockade, the effects of climate change, and the consequences of the global financial crisis that Cuba is suffering as much as other countries."

Likewise, he confirmed, "The Common Position constitutes an insurmountable obstacle to the advancement of relations with the European Union, given that it establishes an unjust, unilateral and interfering policy." In that context, he acknowledged "the efforts of the Spanish presidency of the European Union to foster a better relationship between the Union and our country."

For his part, Moratinos expressed his satisfaction at being in Cuba once again. He highlighted the importance of bilateral relations "that are on a positive course and are being intensified and we hope this visit will continue to strengthen cooperation through respect and dialogue."

"This is my first visit after having concluded an intense and complex rotating presidency of the European Union during which, logically, we have always wanted to persuade our European partners of the importance of a new relationship with Cuba."

He added that "The time has come, as the Spanish government has always maintained, to overcome the Common Position, to work towards a bilateral relationship that is much more structured, much more intense, for the good of both sides, through respect and progress in all areas, in order to positively guide the future between Europe and Cuba."

"I am convinced," he stated, "that these working sessions will be very positive and successful both for Cuba and Spain and that our European partners will also consider that it has been a positive visit and thus allow us to work toward lifting this Common Position definitively."

The two foreign ministers also discussed other issues on the international agenda including the effects of the economic crisis, particularly on the countries of the South; immigrants and the most vulnerable sectors of the populations of industrialized countries; climate change, and threats to peace in the Middle East and the Korean peninsula.

Accompanying His Excellency Mr. Miguel Angel Moratinos were Their Excellencies Mr. Manuel Cacho Quesada, extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador for Spain in Cuba; Mr. Agustín Santos Maraver, general director of the minister’s office; and Juan Carlos Sánchez Alonso, general director of foreign affairs.

Present on the Cuban side were Dagoberto Rodríguez, deputy foreign minister, and other officials from the Cuban foreign ministry.