European ties
July 24, 2009
The top EU diplomat was to meet for talks with Cuban President Raul Castro, as well as with the Cuban foreign, trade and culture ministers, as part of a review of relations between the EU and Havana, according to EU sources.
Ferrero-Waldner is in Cuba at the tail end of a larger tour of Latin America that included meetings with officials in Argentina and Mexico.
The EU normalized relations with Cuba in June last year after a five-year freeze prompted by Cuba's crackdown on 75 opposition dissidents. The improvement was also catalyzed by the resignation of long-time revolutionary leader Fidel Castro in February last year, paving the way for the accession to power of his brother, Raul.
The EU has committed 41.5 million euros ($59 million) in aid for Cuba for this year, including 37 million euros in cooperation funds and the remainder in humanitarian and disaster aid. Cuba was hit by three hurricanes last year that inflicted an estimated $10 billion damage.
Earlier on her Latin American trip, Ferrero-Waldner expressed her concern at the ongoing crisis enveloping the Central American state of Honduras, where the president, Manuel Zelaya, was ousted in a coup on June 28.
"I very much regret that it has not been possible to this date to arrive at a mutually agreeable solution to the Honduran crisis, in line with the proposals made by (Costa Rican) President Oscar Arias," she said while in Mexico.
"I strongly appeal to both parties to refrain from any action or declaration which might further escalate tension, thus making the prospect of a solution more difficult. This is a crisis which Honduras can ill afford."
Author: dfm/dpa/AFP
Editor: Neil King