"The European Union has a fundamental problem, it absolutely depends on the economic, security, defense and foreign policy of the United States… However, now we’re involved in a foreign policy that doesn’t have European values, as can be seen with Cuba. The European Union made a fool out of itself," said Willy Meyer, a former member of the European Parliament from Spain’s United Left party.
Havana and Brussels are participating in the fourth round of negotiations to improve political dialogue and cooperation on Monday and Tuesday.
"The EU shouldn’t have to wait for more rounds of negotiations to terminate the so-called ‘common position’ and treat Cuba like any other state in the world," Meyer said.
In June 2008, the European Union lifted the sanctions it had imposed on Havana five years earlier when over 70 opposition figures were arrested in Cuba.
The Cuba-EU political dialogue takes place amid a thaw in the island's relations with the United States.
EU High Rep Federica Mogherini meets #Cuba Vice President Miguel Díaz-Canel #EUCELAC #CUBAEU http://t.co/QcUwpKYMgx pic.twitter.com/XmmLoWZUEh
— CubaInterestsSection (@SeccionCubaUS) June 11, 2015
US President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced their plans to normalize bilateral relations last December. Diplomatic ties between the two countries were severed in 1961.
