French Organizations Question Banks Denial to Deal with Cuba

Havana, Jan 29 (ACN) French cooperation associations, lawmakers and entrepreneurs questioned in Paris the denial by local banks to deal with Cuba and their submission by the extraterritoriality of the US economic blockade fearing punishment.

The issue was addressed during a colloquium at the French National Assembly organized by the France-Cuba Friendship Group and the Higher Institute for Studies on Latin America (Iheal) in an effort to encourage the presence of French companies in Cuba.

The president of the Friendship Group, Andre Chassaigne and the president of the Cuba Cooperation France Association, Victor Fernandez, described as unacceptable the attitude of major French banks to not back local companies and investors to operate in Cuba, PL news agency reported.

We must take this to the government because we cannot allow France to kneel at the US extraterritorial policy, said communist lawmaker Chassaigne.

Meanwhile, Fernandez denounced that some French banks not only reject dealing with Cuba, but also close accounts of entities having relations with Cuba.

A representative of the cooperation association recalled that the European Union has protection resources against extraterritorial laws, which must be implemented.

Eric Coquerel, president of the Finance Commission at the Assembly said that all European Union member states back the Cuban resolutions against the US blockade at the United Nations, so they should also support economic cooperation and investments in Cuba.