Weekly Report - 16 April 2014 (WR-14-15)

CUBA | Diplomatic frenzy. Laurent Fabius became the most high-ranking French minister to visit Cuba for more than 30 years on 12 April. Fabius, the French foreign minister, visited Havana after accompanying President François Hollande on a state visit to Mexico. He held talks with his peer Bruno Rodríguez and President Raúl Castro. The visit takes place after Frans Timmermans became the first Dutch foreign minister to visit Cuba since the Revolution in January and shortly before the European Union (EU) is scheduled to recommence talks with Cuba in Havana on 29 April over trade, investment and human rights. Fabius said the approval by Cuba last March of a new law designed to entice new foreign investors [WR-14-13] was encouraging.