Cuba, EU vow to further develop bilateral ties

HAVANA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cuban President Raul Castro and Federica Mogherini, high representative for foreign affairs and security policy of the European Union (EU), expressed here Thursday the mutual willingness to boost cooperation between the island nation and the bloc.

A government release reported that Castro and Mogherini met in a "friendly atmosphere" and reviewed the expansion of bilateral relations after the EU's Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) with Cuba -- the instrument that defines the EU's external relations with Cuba -- was provisionally implemented.

They also hailed the status of the current ties and discussed international issues of common interest, said an official source.

Mogherini is on a two-day official visit to Cuba, aiming to raise mutual links to a new level, after the PDCA entered into force last November, allowing more economic collaboration and political dialogue.

At a conference at a local college in Old Havana on Wednesday, the EU diplomat also criticized the hostile policies towards Cuba taken by U.S. President Donald Trump, who is committed to rolling back the thaw begun by his predecessor Barack Obama.

She said the bloc rejects recent U.S. measures seeking to isolate Cuba and will stand with the island nation in its reform process.

The EU senior official announced the two sides' new cooperation programs on renewable energies, sustainable agriculture, as well as cultural and academic exchanges.

This is Mogherini's third working trip to Cuba. The previous one occurred in March 2016 when she was also received by Castro. Enditem