Press Release
Cuba-US normalization shows dialogue only way to resolve differences
Geneva, 18 December 2014
The decision, following an agreement on prisoner exchange and a series of steps that would ease travel, commercial and diplomatic restrictions, is a major breakthrough in more than 50 years of political and economic dispute between two neighbours.
“The decision to engage and find ways to end this long-running stalemate with enormous human costs was a long-awaited and much-needed leap of political faith and leadership,” says IPU President Saber Chowdhury. “Good relations between neighbours are essential to regional peace and security and this development is a ground-breaking first step.”
The Cuba-US move also underscores IPU’s fundamental belief that dialogue remains the only effective way to resolve conflict and ensure long-lasting solutions.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is the global organization of national parliaments. It works to safeguard peace and drives positive democratic change through political dialogue and concrete action. |
For further information, contact: Jemini Pandya, Tel: +41 22 919 4158 / +41 79 217 3374, email: jep@ipu.org
or Fernando Puchol, Tel: + 41 22 919 4137, email: fp@ipu.org