the island and four from the exile – and entrusted them to represent the Assembly before the world and be in charge of organization of its activities in the next six months. The Assembly accepted the strategy of non-violence and peaceful struggle and associated itself with the“ Agreement for Democracy” adopted by the major Cuban oppositional groups already in 1998. The Assembly has decided to launch public campaign for the plebiscite with legally binding results demanding free, fair and pluralistic election in Cuba; to look for all the possible way how to tear down the cyber wall which is still preventing the members of internal opposition to communicate effectively among themselves and with the world. What has also been agreed on by the Assembly, were the fundamental, non-negotiable demands of Cuban democratic opposition: the release of all political prisoners; the abolishment of the Cuban laws, suppressing the fundamental rights and freedoms of Cuban citizens; the recognition of the right to freedom of expression, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, freedom of association and peaceful demonstration; the recognition of the right to religious freedom and free choice of occupation; the recognition of the right to create political parties equally participating in political decisions; the holding of free and fair elections monitored by international observers. It was also decided that the next Assembly will take place after six months with the basic task to discuss and adopt the National Cuban program for the 21 st century. The next
Assembly will also assess the current situation of Cuba as well as the results achieved. Based on this assessment, it should come with concrete proposals concerning both its future institutional set up and its further political steps and strategies. 6. The US and the EU“ engagement” of Cuba Government and the basic philosophy of“ Helsinki process” that brought the end of the Cold War in Europe In spite of all the differences between the processes of“ re-engagement” of Cuban Government recently started by both the United States and the European Union there is one significant similarity here. In both cases three separate“ baskets” of problems are being put on the negotiation table in the context of new relationship to be created between the parties: peace and security, economic cooperation and human rights. Both the US and the EU argue- in line with their fundamental values and principles- that the third, i. e human rights basket is an indispensable part of the whole“ package.” And both the US and the EU get the same reaction from the Cuban side: the bilateral relationship can be substantively improved, its new mutually beneficial forms agreed, even the proposed dialogue about human rights is possible, but under the condition of full respect for Cuban sovereignty and nonintervention to the Cuba’ s internal affairs. This argument is actually very similar to what the Western diplomats were hearing from their Eastern counterparts when the process of“ détente” in
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