Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-03-Speech-3-020"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2003-09-03"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:EU-Cuba relations2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20030903.1.3-020"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2003-09-03-Speech-3-0212
lpv:speaker	lp:Charles Tannock2
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, Cuban-EU relations, which had been steadily improving in recent years, have recently been plunged into crisis by President Castro's arbitrary and provocative decisions to imprison 70 dissidents and human rights activists and carry out executions. For a long time the Cuban Government has been able to blame all the country's woes on the American embargo. As soon as serious discussions take place on a possible relaxation of the embargo, the Cuban authorities engineer a provocation to scupper such developments. These latest moves appear to be part of that pattern, albeit aimed at a European audience this time. Nevertheless Cuba cannot escape with impunity, and it is vital that we send a clear signal to the authorities that violations of fundamental rights, including a lack of medical care for prisoners, cannot be tolerated. Nor should Cuba be allowed to participate fully in the interparliamentary meetings between representatives of the European Union and Latin Americans, such as the Parlatino, as though it were a functioning democracy, whilst Castro's suggestion that EU humanitarian aid can only be given if it is distributed in a disguised fashion via other agencies is totally unacceptable. Aid needs to be transparent. Cat-and-mouse games need to give way to a more reasoned dialogue in which ways are found to open up the country to change, whilst preserving some of the genuine achievements of the revolution. I generally do not support the closing of European Community delegation missions abroad, so a small presence in Havana is useful. However, it is bizarre that we have an office there but not in some of our neighbouring European countries- we do not have an office in Chisinau, Moldova, nor in Minsk in Belarus. The latter is another country where contact with human rights activists is also essential."@en1
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; Delegation to the EU-Estonia Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-03-13--2004-04-30)3 substitute; Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 member; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 unknown; Conservative and Unionist Party (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation to the EU-Slovak Republic Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-02-07--2004-04-30)3 member; Delegation to the EU-Ukraine and the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and Delegation for relations with Belarus (2002-10-21--2004-07-19)3 substitute; ECON (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 member; EPP-ED (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Tannock (PPE-DE )."1

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