EU diplomats fail to agree on normalisation of relations with Cuba

EU member states have failed to agree to normalise ties with Cuba, opting instead to extend a suspension of sanctions on the country, European diplomats said on Thursday. Some of the 27 member states, led by Spain which normalised its relations with Cuba in April, are in favour of definitively dropping the sanctions which were introduced in 2003 but suspended two years later. But objections continue to be voiced, notably from Britain, the Czech Republic and Sweden which believe normalisation should not take place without democratic reforms in Cuba, the diplomats said. A proposal put forward by the German EU presidency on Wednesday to normalise ties was rejected at a meeting of EU diplomats ahead of a foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.