- Title: Spain speaks out against tougher sanctions on Cuba
- Date: 16th October 2019
- Summary: VARIOUS OF BORRELL MAKING FLORAL OFFERING AT JOSE MARTI MEMORIAL
- Embargoed: 30th October 2019 21:59
- Keywords: Spain Cuba Havana Madrid Spain Foreign Minister Jose Borrell Cuba Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez
- Location: HAVANA, CUBA
- City: HAVANA, CUBA
- Country: Cuba
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA003B1CMCEF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Spain's Foreign Minister told media in Havana on Wednesday (October 16) that Madrid will work to stop the extra-territorial application of U.S. sanctions and laws from affecting relations between Cuba and the European Union.
The EU started normalising relations with one-party Cuba about the same time as the United States five years ago, ending decades of Cold War-era hostility. But EU and U.S. policies have diverged, as U.S. President Donald Trump has unravelled the detente pursued by his predecessor. He has reverted to seeking to coerce the government to reform, a strategy that many experts say has long failed.
EU officials say they believe they can better influence Cuba on human rights through dialogue and economic ties rather than coercion. As a result, investment from the European Union in Cuba has increased.
Tougher sanctions in Cuba include Washington's decision to implement the 1996 Helms-Burt Act, which allows Americans to file lawsuits seeking compensation for properties confiscated by the Cuban government in 1959. Madrid and Brussels have expressed concerns that such measures could be extended to affect European companies.
During the visit, Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Borrell confirmed Spain's King Felipe VI will be in Havana in November to mark the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Cuban capital.
Spain is one of Communist-ruled Cuba's biggest trading partners and a major investor there, especially in the tourism sector.
(Production: Rodrigo Gutierrez) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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