Cuba and the European Union on Friday, March 4 advanced ever closer to a new bilateral agreement that would replace a unilateral policy imposed by the Europeans 20 years ago, Reuters reports.
Cuba's lead negotiator said the two sides might be able to conclude two years of negotiations during a visit to Havana by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on March 11.
A deal would hand Cuba another achievement on the international stage following its détente with the United States 15 months ago and the renegotiation of its debt with creditors from the Paris Club of wealthy nations in December.
Representatives of the Communist-led island and the 28-nation European bloc are seeking a far-reaching accord that would outline relations on politics, commerce and aid.
The latest talks took place Thursday and Friday in Cuba, the seventh such meeting alternating between Havana and Brussels.
"We hope that during the visit of Ms. Mogherini the right political conditions will exist so that we can conclude this agreement on political dialogue and cooperation," Abelardo Moreno, Cuba's deputy foreign minister for European affairs, told a news conference.
His European counterpart, chief EU negotiator Christian Leffler, was more cautious on reaching a rapid conclusion.
"If between today and next week we can advance still more in the negotiations to finalize an agreement, clearly we would be happy, but this is an accord that has to serve us for many years," Leffler told a separate news conference.
