Cuba, EU pave way for new political, economic relations (2)

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez (2nd L, front) and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini (2nd R, front) hold talks in Havana, capital of Cuba, March 11, 2016. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

"Today, a new period begins that will allow us to deepen our relationship, set new ambitious goals and achieve results in the best traditions of the links between Europe and Cuba," said the Cuban foreign minister after holding talks with Mogherini.

Western powers have agreed to start a new chapter of political dialogue and economic cooperation with the island after years of hostile policies, Cuban political analyst Elsa Claro said.

In an interview with Xinhua, Claro said that this agreement with Cuba would allow the EU to pursue its economic interests in the country.

Noting that the EU is Cuba's second largest trading partner after Venezuela, she said that the Europeans have been very pragmatic and have sought business opportunities across sectors on the island.

She added that it is time to broaden cooperation between Brussels and Havana to new areas such as sustainable development, energy, mining, telecommunications and tourism.

European companies and governments would also like to explore other opportunities in health, biotechnology and agriculture, Claro pointed out.

Also on Friday, the EU announced an additional 10 million euros (about 11.2 million U.S. dollars) of new support to Cuba, which is a part of overall 50 million euros (about 55.8 million dollars) in development cooperation funds for the country.

"The 10 million euros of new support we are announcing today will help build the capacities of the Cuban public administration and sustainable food production," said Neven Mimica, EU Commissioner for International Development, on a visit to Cuba.

Out of the 10 million euros announced, 7.7 million euros will support the Cuban economic modernization process that started in 2008.

Other than economic interactions, the two sides are making progress in other fields, such as human rights, one of the most discussed issues during the talks and on which both sides agreed to continue discussing.

"We agreed to hold a future round of talks regarding human rights in the coming months, recognizing the complex nature and differences we have on this topic," said the Cuban foreign minister.