Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-03-10-Speech-3-364"
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"en.20100310.23.3-364"2
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"Madam President, the Commission deeply regrets the death of Mr Orlando Zapata and its circumstances. I would also like to express my deep concern for the other political prisoners in Cuba. All of us in this room share the same sense of anger and frustration at the death of Mr Zapata, and we should do our very best to make sure that such events do not happen again in Cuba, or in any other country.
The European Union is rooted in the values of democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, which we strive to protect and promote after having suffered, until very recently, violations of basic human rights on our own continent. Human rights are universal and have no borders. This principle is an integral part of our dialogue with all partners in Europe and outside.
Constructive engagement, not a policy of coercion and sanctions, remains the basis of our policy towards Cuba, as underlined in the common position adopted in 1996. This is the rationale that led the Council to decide in June 2008 to lift the 2003 diplomatic measures, as a means to facilitate the political dialogue process and enable full use of the instruments under the 1996 common position. This is also the rationale that has led numerous Member States to resume their development cooperation with Cuba over the past few months, representing a diverse range of the political parties represented in the European Parliament and reflecting, therefore, the shared view of the important role to be played by development cooperation in Cuba.
At such times in Cuba, inaction would be the worst possible option for the credibility of the European Union as a global actor. What is at stake is not only that credibility, but also our capacity to be present in Cuba. Thus, I firmly believe that the way forward is to pursue and deepen the ongoing political dialogue and continue cooperation with Cuba as a tool for improving the lives of the Cuban people.
Cooperation with Cuba has never been suspended by the European Union, because development is not about supporting the government – it is about supporting the people. Our view has always been that development cooperation constitutes an important element of our relations with Cuba. The ongoing projects in Cuba benefit the population directly by addressing their basic needs, through support for rehabilitation and reconstruction after the hurricanes, food security and adaptation to climate change. Projects are also being run in support of non-state actor activities.
I would like to be very clear that there is no EC funding channelled through the government or public entities. The money is channelled via United Nations agencies and European NGOs, who welcome the presence of the Commission and the European Union in Cuba.
It is important that the European Union continues to address the basic needs of the Cuban population while intervening in strategic sectors through the available thematic or geographical instruments. The task that the EU needs to face in a determined way is to find the right balance between showing openness to dialogue, supporting the Cuban population through development cooperation and reaffirming our principles."@en1
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