Berlin, March 2011

Dear Catherine Ashton,

dear Mr. Morrison, dear Ms. Knapton, dear Ms. Kocijancic, dear Mr. Ennis,

in assessing your most recent talks with Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodríguez in Brussels concerning the relationship between the EU and Cuba you stated to the press that you would consider them as "positive".
Our organisation, a network of more than 40 different solidarity groups with Cuba, would like to express its concern that the relationship could and should be much more intense and beneficial for both sides. Pressing issues like climate change, desertification, trade, technology transfer, etc. are presently dealt with far below the urgently needed level of cooperation.

One big step forwand in this direction on the European side would be the immediate cancellation of the illegitimate "Common Position of the EU on Cuba", which was estab-lished by then-President Aznar in 1996. It is long overdue to lift this undiplomatic posi-tion. We urge you to press some reluctant member states to agree to such a move.

Sincerely yours,
Harri Grünberg

To
Ms. Catherine Ashton
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy
cc: Mr. Christian Leffler
Berlin, April 27, 2011
Dear Ms. Catherine Ashton,
dear Mr. Leffler,
Having been invited by a group of Exile Cubans living in Spain Mr. Leffler has taken the opportunity to talk to this kind of people in March. Even by acknowledging the personal fate of some of them their overall negative emotional stance against the Cuban system cannot be a substantial ingredient of EU-policy vis-àvis Cuba. After reading reports of the meeting we are deeply concerned that the hateful position of these people might be used by some conservative and reactionary segments in the EU leadership to block any advancement of bilateral relations.

In February you were assessing your most recent talks with Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodríguez in Brussels concerning the relationship between the EU and Cuba as "positive". And on March, 23, 2011 you published your positive “Statement on the release of political prisoners in Cuba” (A 122/11). These and many other signals of the Cuban government should be taken as steps toward a fair relationship and “answered” accordingly favourable. In this context, we would wish to see the same adherence to international law and human rights by the U.S. administration with regards to the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, including the return of that whole area to Cuba, to whom it belongs.

We would like to urge you to intensify contacts and cooperation with Cuba, since pressing issues like climate change, desertification, trade, technology transfer, etc. are presently dealt with far below the urgently needed level of cooperation.

We urge you to prepare and administer the immediate cancellation of the counterproductive "Common Position of the EU on Cuba". It is long overdue to lift this un-diplomatic standpoint. More and more citizens in the EU find that Position a mere complement to the Cold War strategy of the U.S. administration. We in Europe should act more fair, future-oriented and constructive. Take that chance!

Sincerely yours,
Harri Grünberg, President