Statement by the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba

Havana, July 12 (RHC) The International Relations Commission of the National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP) The International Relations Commission of the National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP) today strongly rejected the resolution of the European Parliament with a high interfering content and that defames the reality of the island.

The declaration emphasizes that the European Parliament lacks moral, political and legal authority to judge Cuba.

The European Parliament adopted this day a resolution referring to the declarations of the Council and the European Commission, and the state of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union (EU) and Cuba, following the visit made to Havana by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on the occasion of the Third Joint Cuba-European Union Council.

Statement of the International Relations Commission of the National Assembly of People's Power

The International Relations Commission of the National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP) strongly rejects the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on July 12, based on the debate held on June 13 in that body, referring to the declarations of the Council and the European Commission, and the status of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) between the European Union (EU) and Cuba, following the visit to Havana in May by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on the occasion of the Third Cuba-European Union Joint Council.

The International Relations Commission of the ANPP emphasizes that the European Parliament lacks the moral, political and legal authority to judge Cuba. As has happened with previous resolutions on Cuba, approved by the current legislature, the text shows a high degree of interference, defaming not only the Cuban reality, its legal system and rule of law, but also with respect to the links that Cuba maintains with other States in a sovereign manner, in strict compliance with international law. At the same time, it reflects the application of double standards in the issuance of value judgments on issues that this Parliament does not pay attention to in the territory of its own Member States and in other parts of the world. The silence of the European Parliament on the resurgence of Fascism could be understood as complicit.

The debate that served as the basis for that resolution evidenced a strong ideological charge on the part of a group of conservative and extreme right-wing MEPs, some with known links to anti-Cuban politicians in the United States, whose purpose is to hinder the current course of relations between Cuba and the European Union, based on the ADPC signed by the 27 Member States. To achieve their ends, they try to ignore the results of the Third Cuba-European Union Joint Council, held last May 26, and distort facts, data and figures. They deliberately lie in order to finally question the positive course of relations between Cuba and the European Union, in its various fields, including cooperation.

This debate, in which high representatives of other institutions such as the Council and the European Commission made presentations, showed both the validity of the ADPC to advance in the development of mutually beneficial relations, as well as the ineffectiveness of unilateral and interfering positions that at other times prevented dialogue and cooperation.

We appreciate the position of those Eurodeputies who, sticking to the evidence and historical truth, denounced that the attempt against the ongoing dialogue and cooperation is a servile tribute of the European ultra-right wing to the policy of the United States Government against the Cuban people, universally rejected every year at the United Nations General Assembly.

This resolution contributes to the U.S. attempt to isolate Cuba internationally and to justify its genocidal blockade that has inflicted so much damage on the Cuban people for over 60 years. It is also an attack against the companies of the community bloc that invest in Cuba or are interested in doing so and expresses the will of the extreme right and related political forces to deprive the European Union of its own independent policy towards Cuba.

We warn that adopting this Resolution, which singles out a Latin American and Caribbean country, goes against the principles of respect, inclusion and cooperation with which the Third CELAC-EU Summit is intended to be organized, to be held in a few days in Brussels, and may cast doubts on the objectives of a European Union that seeks to relaunch its relations with Latin America and the Caribbean.

We call on the MEPs to respect the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Cuba, the commitment of its Member States and the position of other institutions of the European Union such as the Council and the European Commission, as well as to listen to the feelings of broad sectors of European societies that advocate the consolidation of dialogue and contribute to the development of exchanges and collaboration in the mutual interest.

Havana, July 12, 2023.