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Cuban regime totalitarian,
silence not possible
Prague
Daily Monitor,
June 15, 2005.
LUXEMBOURG (PDM staff with CTK) 14 June
- "The Cuban regime behaves as a totalitarian
one and it is not possible to be silent
on this," Czech Foreign Minister Cyril
Svoboda told CTK before the EU's discussion
on a draft resolution on Cuba yesterday
afternoon.
The EU will take a very critical stand
on human rights violations in Cuba, and
it will not resume the diplomatic sanctions
which were suspended in January.
The resolution was originally expected
to be approved without a debate, but the
Czech Republic raised an objection to the
text, so the debate must be held.
Svoboda reminded people of the recent expulsion
of several MEPs and deputies of EU national
parliaments from Cuba, including representatives
of the Czech Republic.
"We all speak about European values,
we all agree with the U.N. Charter and human
rights pacts. Therefore we cannot demand
that they be applied somewhere while we
would not be interested in them elsewhere,"
Svoboda said.
In the resolution, the EU will point out
that "constructive dialogue" will
continue to be conducted with Cuban authorities
on the basis of reciprocity, while regular
dialogue with the democratic opposition
is to be enhanced.
According to EU Council sources, the Czech
Republic demanded that government members'
trips to Cuba be restricted to the member
countries' foreign ministers who are the
best equipped to conduct a dialogue with
the opposition and to assert human rights.
This proposal met with opposition, but
was instrumental in making Cuba a point
of discussion for foreign ministers.
"Castro does not behave as a democrat.
He expelled MEPs, including Czech senator
(Karel Schwarzenberg), he did not give a
visa to a Czech deputy foreign minister,"
Svoboda said.
CTK news edited by the staff of the
Prague Daily Monitor, a Monitor CE service.
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