HAVANA: French President Francois Hollande on Monday called for an end to the US embargo on Cuba, during the first visit by a Western leader to the island since Washington and Havana moved to restore ties.

Addressing the half-century-old trade embargo ahead of meetings with Fidel and Raul Castro, the brothers who have ruled Cuba since its 1959 revolution, Hollande said France will do whatever possible to see that “the measures that have so badly harmed Cuba’s development can finally be lifted, repealed”.

Hollande said his trip came “at a particularly important but also uncertain time”, as the United States seeks to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba and European countries scramble to reinforce ties.

Hollande’s Cuba trip, the first by a French leader, has highlighted the simultaneously cooperative and competitive relationship between the United States and the EU as both look to start doing business with Havana.

Asked if US President Barack Obama would follow suit and make his own visit, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said: “I think the president has indicated that he does not envision a trip to Cuba anytime in the near future. But I certainly wouldn’t rule it out over the course of next year now.”

Since announcing in December that the United States and Cuba would move to renew ties, Obama has used executive authority to relax parts of the embargo, including restrictions on travel and on sending money to the island.

He has urged Congress to lift the full embargo, in place since 1962, but, with both houses controlled by his Republican opponents, he faces an uphill political battle.

Cuba says “the blockade” has cost it more than $100 billion.

A US presidential visit would be seen as a powerful symbol that the long-standing conflict is drawing to a close.Hollande also urged Cuba to open up its economy, saying there was vast interest in doing business with the island.

“I know you are taking important economic decisions to promote the evolution of the Cuban economic model,” he told a business forum.

“We are ready to join you, while respecting your identity, your model, your independence.”

But of course, we would like to see your rules relaxed and for our companies to be able to manage their resources more freely. That’s not out of self-interest, it’s to foster increased investment.

Raul Castro has presided over gradual economic and social reforms since taking over in 2006 from his big brother Fidel, the leader of the revolution that ousted dictator Fulgencio Batista and eventually made Cuba a one-party communist state.

France has joined the Netherlands and Spain leading an EU push to normalise relations with Cuba, suspended in 2003 over a crackdown on journalists and activists.

The European Union opened talks on restoring ties in April 2014 aiming to persuade Havana to improve its rights record.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2015

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