Cuba Hails ACP AffiliationCuba hailed its affiliation on Thursday, December 14, to the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group (ACP) of developing nations as culminating a process of "full identification" with the group's member states.The ACP Council of Ministers in Brussels agreed Thursday to admit Cuba as a full member, ignoring the suggestion that the decision will affect the bloc's ties with the European Union. Cuba's ambassador in Belgium Rene Mugica lauded Cuba's acceptance by the ACP. He said it "shows that it isn't an isolated country as certain powers in this world attempt to make it seem to be," according to reports from Brussels. He said that Cuba's full membership in the ACP Group is important because it is "independent of any relationship we may have with the EU." Mugica attended the ACP meeting in Brussels representing Governmental Minister Ricardo Cabrizas, who stayed at home due to the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Cuba's entry to the ACP, in which Cuba up to now is an observer, requires firstly a Georgetown Accord modification, which forbids the incorporation of states without accords with the EU. Due to political reasons, Cuba is the only Latin American country that hasn't ratified any cooperation accord with the 15-nation European bloc. |
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