Relationship dossier
Germany
Cuba
Relationship assessment
Engagement and debt cooperation coexist with political differences over rights and governance
Germany toward Cuba
+20Germany has supported EU engagement with Cuba and has voted against the U.S. embargo on Cuba at the United Nations. These actions indicate support for diplomatic and economic engagement, while German policy has also raised concerns about political freedoms and human rights.
Cuba toward Germany
+15Cuba participated in the 2015 restructuring of its debt to creditor countries, including Germany, under the Paris Club arrangement. This provided a concrete basis for economic cooperation, though the extent of broader direct cooperation is unclear.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship includes German support for international engagement with Cuba and Cuba's participation in debt restructuring involving Germany. Political differences over rights and governance temper this cooperation; the available examples indicate engagement rather than a close strategic partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Germany has supported engagement between the European Union and Cuba and has opposed the U.S. embargo in United Nations votes. Cuba has participated in bilateral and multilateral economic arrangements involving Germany, including the 2015 restructuring of Cuban debt owed to creditor countries. These cooperative steps coexist with political differences, particularly over political freedoms and human rights.
Areas of tension
- Differences over political freedoms and human rights in Cuba
Key developments
Cuba reached a debt restructuring arrangement with Paris Club creditor countries, including Germany.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of direct German-Cuban cooperation beyond debt and diplomatic engagement are unclear.
- The extent of recent bilateral economic and cultural cooperation is uncertain.