The European Union has agreed to scrap its sanctions against Cuba. The EU’s External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner announced the news at a meeting in Brussels.

Benita Ferrero-Waldner: “Yes, the Cuba sanctions will be lifted, but at the same time there will be a very clear language also on what the Cubans still have to do. I mean, of course, releasing prisoners, really to work on human rights questions. So, indeed — and there will be a sort of review to see whether indeed something will have happened. But I think it’s very important, because we also want to encourage the changes in Cuba.”