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Opening Remarks 

Thank you,

Honourable Members of the European Parliament, 

We all agree that Cuban citizens should be able to speak freely and without fear.

We also agree that the rule of law is incompatible with arbitrary detentions.

And we all believe that the Cuban people—like people everywhere—should be able to choose their government through free and democratic elections. 

This said, the question today is how we engage with Cuba? 

We must do this based on our values and our interests. Since 2016, we have had a Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) with Cuba, agreed by this Parliament and European Union Member States.

I understand that many here feel the Agreement has not delivered as much as we would hope.

However, in the midst of Cuba’s severe economic crisis and broader global instability, the objectives of this Agreement remain relevant to promote reform; encourage respect for human rights; and accompany Cuba’s economic and social modernisation—while promoting European values and protecting European interests. 

The Agreement gives us a structured framework. This framework provides space for us to talk about issues where we agree, but especially on those where we differ. 

These include sensitive topics like human rights, arrests and disproportionate sentences or Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. 

The Agreement is not a way to ignore our differences— it is a way to address our differences. 

President, Honourable Members,

This Agreement has not yet delivered the kind of change we want. But it has contributed to meaningful developments.

For example, progressive provisions in the 2019 Constitution; the adoption of a new Family Law; or the emergence, albeit timid, of a private sector. 

We have also welcomed the release of 553 detainees, as agreed with the Vatican, and in line with the EU’s long-standing calls. 

But yes, setbacks persist.

The recent revocation by Cuban courts of the conditional release of José Daniel Ferrer and Félix Navarro is deeply concerning.

The EU responded with a statement calling on Cuban authorities to review these decisions and to release all individuals detained for exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. 

We must also consider the wider geopolitical context.

Cuba has historic ties with Russia. In fact, President [Díaz-Canel] is currently going to attend the Victory Day in Moscow.

Yet, Cuba has abstained in six UN votes on Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, including the most recent. Cuba also plays a role on the multilateral stage. 

We must assert our positions firmly and consistently, especially with influential actors and where our views are not shared. 

To conclude, the Agreement is not a silver bullet. We all understand that. But in the face of economic distress and shifting geopolitical dynamics, it remains the European Union’s best shot at promoting our values, defending our interests, and supporting reform.

It is also [a] means to counter the influence of other global actors.

This is also a policy of many of our Member States, who hold regular dialogues and consultations with Cuba.

Diplomacy is not the art of the ideal, but of the possible. It is also about dialogue, especially where there are differences. 

Thank you. 

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-271348

Closing remarks  

Thank you, President, Honorable Members of Parliament,

Thank you very much for this interesting discussion.

I understand that this is the second debate on Cuba for this mandate of this European Parliament, and the 9^th debate on Cuba [during the] last 5 years. This shows how important the topic for the Member of the Parliament is. And also, in addition to that, we have 17 accredited Ambassadors from EU Member States in Havana, which shows that Cuba, despite being a relatively small island, is relevant to [the] European Union, for historical, political and economic reasons as well.

But also, what this debate very well shows is how diverse the ideas of what to do with Cuba really are – in this chamber as well. 

What I want to stress: Cuba remains a sovereign state and will take its own decisions. Of course, we want change. Of course we do. But as with all countries, the European Union neither has the capacity nor the will to impose change.

Of course, Mr Mato, human rights is the fundamental principle of the European Union. That is what we are standing for. And also, [if] we have the agreement then we have the possibility to address these human rights issues.

Cuba must determine its own path—but the question today is whether our values and interests are best advanced through principled engagement or through isolation and disengagement. 

And there, I want to stress to Ms Teodorescu Måwe: the agreement does not bring democracy, but let me remind you that we did not have the agreement before 2016, and there was no democracy then as well. So, it does not matter if the agreement is there or not. I think we can all agree that agreement has nothing to do with the country, the people there decide for [a] democratic approach or not. 

Also, to Mr Kamiński: does suspending the agreement free José Daniel Ferrer and Felix Navarro? I think we know the answer to that question.

But we can raise these issues and these questions with the dialogue we have. If we do not have a dialogue, we also do not have the possibility to raise the issue [to] free these people. We do dialogues with other countries that we do not share the same values [with], or who are not perfect democracies.

Do we have the possibility to interact only with perfect democracies? No, we cannot. And that is why we have also these dialogues in place to raise these very difficult issues. 

Then, I want to correct Ms Junco García: we are not supporting the regime, we are not channeling our funding through the Cuban government. Our implementing partners in Cuba in EU-funded projects are mostly United Nations agencies, European NGOs and what we are supporting is the ecological transition, modernisation of the economy. These are things that we are doing, and we are not supporting the regime. 

Thank you for your attention. 

• Link to the video (18:33:40): https://www.europarl.europa.eu/plenary/en/home.html