Written questions, answers and statements

Cuba: Foreign Relations

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Question for Foreign and Commonwealth Office

UIN 157631, tabled on 26 June 2018

Question

Sir Patrick McLoughlin
Conservative
Derbyshire Dales
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to improve diplomatic ties with Cuba since the appointment of Miguel Diaz-Canel.

Answer

Sir Alan Duncan
Conservative
Rutland and Melton
Commons

Answered on

2 July 2018

The transition to the first non-Castro President of Cuba in decades was an historic moment, which I welcomed publicly.

While it is still early in President Diaz-Canel's time in office, the UK has already begun to engage the new administration. The Head of Latin America Department visited Cuba shortly after President Diaz-Canel's appointment to attend Cuba's Tourism Fair, for which the UK was named 'Country of Honour', and for meetings with the Cuban Government and civil society. He was clear about the UK's desire to continue improving the relationship between the UK and Cuba.

We look forward to continuing our constructive engagement with President Diaz-Canel and his new ministerial team to promote trade and investment at the same time as maintaining a broad political dialogue, including on human rights and the need for reform.

Answered by

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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