EU ready for Cuba ties after Castro exit

The European Union has said it is ready to seek ways to re-launch ties with Cuba following the announcement that President Fidel Castro will not return to power.

Some of the 27 EU states, led by Spain which normalised  its relations with Havana last year, are in favour of definitively  dropping their sanctions on Cuba.

But others, including Britain and the Czech Republic, believe  normalisation should not take place without democratic reforms.

US President George W Bush has said President Castro had denied people their basic human rights and he called on the international community to work with Cuba to build up the country's democratic institutions.

However, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte said he did not believe that an end to the decades-old US embargo of Cuba would happen any time soon.

Amnesty International called for the release of political prisoners and reforms to guarantee human rights.

The ailing Cuban leader has said he will not return to lead the country, retiring as head of state 49 years after he seized power in an armed revolution.

Castro departure comes in online statement

The announcement was made in a message published in the online version of the official daily Granma.

'I neither will aspire to nor will I accept - I repeat - I neither will aspire to nor will I accept, the position of president of the council of state and commander in chief,' it said.

The announcement comes almost 19 months after a severe illness caused the 81-year-old to hand power temporarily over to his brother Raúl Castro.

The National Assembly is expected to elect his 76-year-old brother to succeed him as president when it meets on Sunday.