IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 8 ENGLISH | Page 81

peace-building policies, conflict prevention and resolution and promotion of
human rights, democratic principles
based on the rule of law and transparent
and accountable governance. Its main
financial instrument is the European
Development Fund. Cuba first announced its intention to sign the Cotonou
Agreement by a Verbal Note of February
2, 2000, but later withdrew its petition,
arguing that the EU was setting unacceptable conditions for Cuba's accession
with the attempt to infringe into Cuba’s
“internal affairs.”
4-The official title of the EU “foreign
minister” is “High Representative of the
European Union for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy and Vice-President of
the European Commission”
5-Reacting to the recent wave of gross
human rights violations of human rights
by the Cuba Government the EU adopted on 2 December 1996 the “Common
position on Cuba” (agreed upon by the
Council on the basis of Article J.2 of the
Treaty on European Union) which explicitly states : “…the objective of the
EU in its relations with Cuba is to encourage a process of transition to pluralist democracy and respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms, as
well as a sustainable recovery and
improvement in the living standards of
the Cuban people”. It is the EU “firm
wish to be Cuba’s partner in the progressive and irreversible opening of the
Cuban economy”5, but the possibility of
the “full cooperation with Cuba will
depend upon the improvements in human
rights
and
political
freedom...”
(96/697/CFSP)

6-The term a “parallel polis” was invented in the milieu of the Czechoslovak
Charter77. Its author is Václav Benda,
whose seminal essay on this topic, written in 1978, initiated an important and
rich discussion. Benda’s essay “The
Parallel Polis” and other contributions to
this debate have been published in H.
Gordon SKILLING and Paul WILSON
(eds.), Civic Freedom in Central Europe: Voices from Czechoslovakia
(Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire:
Macmillan, 1991).
7-The main demand of the campaign
“Cuba Decide” endorsed by the majority
of groups of democratic opposition
operating inside as well as outside of the
island. (http://cubadecide.com/)
8-The term of Havel

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