Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 129: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he directly or through the aegis of the EU has encouraged improved relations between the EU, the US and Cuba; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43523/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I met with the Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez Parilla on 19 May during his visit to Dublin. During this meeting, we discussed a range of bilateral and multilateral issues, including EU-Cuba and Cuba-US relations. At the Foreign Affairs Council in October, Ministers considered recent developments in Cuba, including the ongoing release of political prisoners and the announcement of economic reform. The High Representative was tasked with exploring the future relationship between the EU and Cuba. It is my view that recent developments in Cuba are significant and merit a response on the EU side in order to advance our bilateral relationship and encourage further progress.

While Ireland and our European Union partners consider the United States' foreign policy toward Cuba to be a bilateral issue, the European Union has clearly expressed the opposition of its Member States to all unilateral measures against Cuba which are contrary to commonly accepted rules of international law. Ireland, in common with our partners in the European Union, is of the view that the US economic embargo on Cuba seriously hampers the economic development of Cuba and negatively affects the welfare of the Cuban people. On 26 October 2010, Ireland and our EU partners once again voted at the United Nations General Assembly in favour of a resolution calling for an end to the US embargo.

I have made clear in my contacts with my United States and Cuban colleagues that I am available to assist if they so request in bringing the two sides closer to the normalisation of their bilateral relations.