IV 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 440 Commending Lithuania for refusing to ratify the European Union’s Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement with Cuba. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 25, 2021 Ms. MALLIOTAKIS (for herself, Mr. GIMENEZ, and Ms. SALAZAR) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Commending Lithuania for refusing to ratify the European Union’s Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement with Cuba. Whereas Lithuania and the United States have a three-dec- ade-long special relationship built on shared values, pre- vailing trust, and a fundamental respect for democracy; Whereas the United States-European Union relationship is, as stated by the European Commission, built on ‘‘values of human dignity, individual rights and democratic prin- ciples . . .’’; Whereas the European Union signed the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) with the Govern- ment of Cuba in 2016, ‘‘to consolidate and strengthen links between the parties in the areas of political dia- VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:46 May 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR440.IH HR440 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 440 IH logue, cooperation and trade, on the basis of mutual re- spect, reciprocity, common interest and respect for their sovereignty’’; Whereas the Communist Government of Cuba has mobilized a regime of censorship, detention, torture, and murder of political opponents, repression of prodemocracy efforts, and unparalleled restrictions on movement and emigra- tion; Whereas the latest wave of repression has targeted the free speech, artistic San Isidro Movement, whose leader, Luis Manuel Otero Alca´ntara, is currently isolated and under police control in a hospital in Havana; Whereas cooperative agreements between Western states and the Government of Cuba legitimize corruption, political repression, and a segregating and suppressive economic system while undermining prodemocracy efforts on the ground in Cuba, Venezuela, and elsewhere; and Whereas Lithuania is the only European Union member state which has refused to ratify the PDCA on account of its demerits: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) strongly commends Lithuania for standing 2 with Cuba’s human rights activists by refusing to 3 ratify the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agree- 4 ment (PDCA); 5 (2) calls on other European Union members to 6 follow in the footsteps of Lithuania and annul their 7 ratification of the PDCA in the course of its ongoing 8 provisional implementation; 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:46 May 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR440.IH HR440 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 440 IH (3) takes pride in the special relationship 1 shared by the United States and Lithuania; and 2 (4) looks forward to strengthening the United 3 States-Lithuania relationship on a diplomatic, mili- 4 tary, economic, and humanitarian basis. 5 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:46 May 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR440.IH HR440 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS