EU presents itself as ally of Cuba in face of US hostility

European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini, center, poses for a photo with youths at a youth center in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, Jan. 3 2018. Mogherini is in an official visit to the island nation. (Source: AP)

The European Union wants to be a reliable partner for Cuba in the face of the reversal in US-Cuban relations under President Donald Trump, its foreign policy and security chief said Thursday. Federica Mogherini said at the end of a two-day visit that the EU is a “predictable and solid” partner that can help Cuba manage a political transition and slow, halting economic opening.

The EU and Cuba last year signed an agreement that normalized diplomatic relations after a long period of stalemate over European demands for human rights improvements on the island. “We are consistent and we do not have unpredictability in our policies, or sudden shifts,” Mogherini said, in a clear dig at Trump’s reversal of some elements of President Barack Obama’s opening with Cuba.

Mogherini said that the EU and Havana would soon sign agreements on renewable energy, agriculture and cultural exchanges, while a European Investment Bank delegation will visit the island in January to identify new possibilities.

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