During the EP plenary session (3-6 July 2017) in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on Cuba. Statements by Elena VALENCIANO (S&amp;D, ES), Rapporteur, and Federica MOGHERINI, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the EC.

Strasbourg

plenary session

EU - Cuba (T)

VALENCIANO, Elena (S&D, ES)

MOGHERINI, Federica (IT, EC)

joint debate

Cuba: extracts from the joint debate

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Elena VALENCIANO (S&amp;D, ES), Rapporteur, <p>The High Representative, I would say, deserves our gratitude because she was a driving force behind this agreement and she really drove forward the negotiations and discussions on this. We are going to be able to make great progress in terms of our relations with Latin America and the Caribbean when we complete these discussions with Cuba.</p>

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Elena VALENCIANO (S&amp;D, ES), Rapporteur, I would also like to congratulate Cuba because we have negotiated very effectively and we have now achieved an international agreement, which is both appropriate and very sophisticated and indeed committed with the requirements of a sensitive situation. It is a model, new generation agreement and I would ask the Parliament to give its consent to this political dialogue agreement tomorrow.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Elena VALENCIANO (S&amp;D, ES), Rapporteur, I would like to extend my thanks to all my colleagues who have worked with me, who have accepted the limitations that I imposed and we were very keen to not put down demands but rather to establish challenges and goals and a basis for cooperation which we could take forward, in full respect of the sovereignty and independence of Cuba. We were looking more towards a long-term agreement but we also wanted to factor in the necessary detail and I hope that all the agreements which we will continue to sign in the future will be as good and as well-structured as this, and I hope too that the European Union and its counterpart will work closely and effectively together on human rights.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Elena VALENCIANO (S&amp;D, ES), Rapporteur, And I think that this will all underpin the importance of the relations we have with Cuba and the fact that we need to build on the bilateral arrangements which we had individually as countries and move on from the common position to a more comprehensive agreement. We are the country with which they are a major trading partner, so I hope that Europe and Cuba will continue in a very positive path and have an opportunity to show to the US, whom are backtracking rapidly, that we can impose demands, we can have high goals and ambitions but we can achieve success.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Federica MOGHERINI, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the EC, So we are talking about a real commitment of the EU to dialogue. We have completed part of this path together and the US administration has been doing this in parallel. I think it is even more fundamental that at the moment in Washington there is a wind of change and since there is a wind of change we have to show that the EU is not going to change course, and that it is proceeding with great courage and without any taboos. We are convincingly moving forward with cooperation and dialogue with Cuba and all Cubans.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Federica MOGHERINI, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the EC, But we also recognise the point of convergence between Cuba and the European Union. I think this open, frank, constructive, respectful dialogue can be an important basis to work upon for this Parliament as well. As we now move forward with the ratification of the agreement and the ratifications of the Member States as well, I think that the approach is pragmatic but it's also transparent and it will bear fruit.