Cuba: EU Sanctions Are Not Serious
Vienna, May 14, 2006 (Prensa Latina) Cuba can not take serious the European anti-Cuba sanctions or policy because they are biased, denounced Cuban Council of States Vice President Carlos Lage.
Lage noted in press conference at the end of the 4th European Union-Latin America and Caribbean Summit, the EU lack of independence to outline a policy of its own, following US footsteps.
Being the US government the world's major human rights violator the EU has not established a policy of sanctions against it.
It knew it was a lie that Iraq was producing WMDs just as its alleged links with Al Qaeda, but Europe allows and in many cases backed the aggression.
Even the states that have opposed the war have some how turned partners for failing to condemn it or allowing CIA flights taking prisoners to torture centers to land at their airports.
On the June discussion of anti-Cuba sanctions now on halt, Lage said Cuba does not fear because the EU lacks the power to ask the Island to make reforms of any nature.
He suggested the 25-strong EU not to waste its time because it is ridiculous and Cuba will not accept such language nor demands.
In this way the Cuban official refuted threatening allegations from EU leaders who claimed that if Latin America and the Caribbean do not create conditions to invest, their companies would go somewhere else.
We do not accept such language; I have the least clue on how are they hoping to lead good relations using such terms.
Lage also lashed at alleged calls by European Commissioner Luis Michell urging Cuba to take action to improve relations with the EU, saying that no one in the audience heard such thing.
Yet if he would say so, he'd better not hold his breath because Cuba owes nothing to the EU or any one else and has the moral strength and lot of respect for its own principles.
Lage termed inexistent an EU strategic association with Latin America which is what it leads with the US, and beyond Cuba's stand we voiced at the Summit our people's criticism to the European governments.