Cuba Issue on Debate at French Parliament

The Cuba issue was on debate this week at the National Assembly of France, where several parliamentarians favored strengthening ties between the two countries at both government and society levels.

The session was aimed at voting on the ratification of the Agreement on Political Dialogue and Cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Cuba, which was strongly supported by lawmakers from a broad political spectrum.

Lawmakers from almost all parties represented in the National Assembly took the floor to support the deal, which will allow further boosting relations between Cuba and all EU member countries, including France.

When introducing the Agreement, the minister in charge of European Affairs at the Foreign Ministry, Nathalie Loiseau, highlighted the good state of bilateral relations, and recalled that Paris played a key role in the success of negotiations between Cuba and the EU to reach the agreement.

She noted that Cuba also played a fundamental role during the summit on climate held in France in 2015 to get several countries to sign the Paris Agreement.

In that regard, she noted that taking into consideration that Havana is an influential voice in Latin America and the Caribbean, this deal will also contribute to continue to strengthen relations between the two regions.

For her part, the president of the Foreign Relations Parliamentary Committee, Marielle de Sarnez, noted that it is a historic deal.

She pointed out that at a time when relations between the United States and Cuba are tense, this pact shows the EU's capacity to implement its own foreign policy based on dialogue and multilateralism.

At the session, several lawmakers condemned the US blockade of Cuba, which they described as an obstacle to the Caribbean island's development.