G7 calls on Cuba to make ‘significant’ reforms, a first in more than 3 decades

In what appears to be the first policy statement about Cuba since the end of the Cold War, G7 foreign ministers have called on the island’s government to carry out “significant and meaningful political and economic reforms” and take “concrete steps” toward multi-party democracy. The joint declaration was adopted at a meeting in Paris earlier this week, marking a rare alignment among seven of the world’s largest industrialized democracies, especially between the United States, Canada and the European Union, which had historically diverged on their policies toward Cuba. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Cuban American from Florida who had made regime change in Cuba a foreign policy priority for the United States, attended the meeting. kAm%96 564=2C2E:@? 2=D@ FC86D rF32? 2FE9@C:E:6D “E@ E2<6 4@?4C6E6 DE6AD… E@H2C5D AC6DD 7C665@>[ 2?5 7C665@> @7 6IAC6DD:@? 2?5 2DD@4:2E:@?[” 2?5 E@ C6=62D6 “2== :?5:G:5F2=D H9@ 92G6 366? 2C3:EC2C:=J 56E2:?65]” %96 DE2E6>6?E H2D 6?5@CD65 3J E96 7@C6:8? >:?:DE6CD @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ r2?252[ E96 &?:E65 z:?85@>[ uC2?46[ v6C>2?J[ xE2=J 2?5 y2A2?[ 2=@?8 H:E9 E96 tFC@A62? &?:@?’D w:89 #6AC6D6?E2E:G6]k^Am kAm%96 >:?:DE6CD 2=D@ 6IAC6DD65 4@?46C? @G6C “E96 566A 64@?@>:4 4C:D:D 2?5 9F>2?:E2C:2? ?665D 72465 3J E96 rF32? A6@A=6[ :?4=F5:?8 D9@CE286D @7 7@@5[ 7F6=[ 2?5 >65:4:?6D[” 2?5 6?4@FC2865 “4@?DECF4E:G6 2?5 :?4=FD:G6 5:2=@8F6 :? @C56C E@ 7:?5 2 H2J @FE @7 E96 4C:D:D]”k^Am kAm%96 =2DE 6 2E E96 w@FDE@? DF>>:E :? yF=J `hh_] x? 2 “!@=:E:42= s64=2C2E:@?i $64FC:?8 s6>@4C24J” E92E 46=63C2E65 E96 6?5 @7 E96 r@=5 (2C[ =6256CD HC@E6 :? 2 D:?8=6 =:?6i “(6 9@A6 E92E rF32 H:== E2<6 DE6AD E@ ;@:? E96 56>@4C2E:4 EC6?5 :? E96 C6DE @7 {2E:? p>6C:42]” %9:D H66<’D E6IE 8@6D >F49 7FCE96C[ H:E9 2 565:42E65 D64E:@? @? rF32 2?5 DA64:7:4 56>2?5D @? 8@G6C?2?46[ 7C665@>D 2?5 A@=:E:42= AC:D@?6CD]k^Am kAmrF32 925 366? @? E96 vf’D 286?52 62C=:6C E9:D J62C] u@C6:8? >:?:DE6CD 5:D4FDD65 :E :? |2C49[ 3FE E96J :DDF65 ?@ 4@>>@? A@D:E:@?[ 2?5 E96 =6256CD’ DE2E6>6?E @? 86@A@=:E:42= :DDF6D 2E E96 ÉG:2? DF>>:E :? uC2?46 :? yF?6 5:5 ?@E >6?E:@? E96 :D=2?5]k^Am kAmrF32’D u@C6:8? |:?:DE6C qCF?@ #@5Cí8F6K !2CC:==2 C6;64E65 E96 DE2E6>6?E @? %9FCD52J[ D2J:?8 :E :8?@C6D E96 &]$] 6>32C8@ 282:?DE rF32]k^Am