Brussels - The European Union on Monday planned to push Cuba to improve its human-rights record, including by releasing political prisoners, as the island's foreign minister arrived for talks at the bloc's headquarters in Brussels.

The trip comes at a fluid time in the world's relations with the communist Caribbean island, after President Barack Obama recently relaxed travel restrictions for US citizens imposed by his predecessor, George W Bush.

"We are looking forward to hearing what are the intentions of the Cuban minister, specially with the situation regarding human rights," said Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout on behalf of the EU's rotating presidency.

During his visit to Brussels, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla was to meet officials from the current and next EU presidencies, as well as EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and EU Aid Commissioner Louis Michel.

Several EU governments, led by former colonial master Spain, are eager to normalize relations with Cuba following the recent diplomatic overtures offered to its new leader, Raul Castro, by United States President Barack Obama.

But the Czech Republic and other member states remain sceptical, with Kohout telling reporters that Cuba still needs to do more on the human rights front.

"The steps taken in the last years have not been big enough to satisfy us," Kohout said.

The meeting in Brussels was the second of its kind since EU leaders agreed in June to lift diplomatic sanctions against Cuba.

The lifting of the sanctions, which included limits on high-level government visits and the role of EU diplomats in Cuba's cultural events, was largely symbolic, since the bloc had already suspended them in 2005.

EU foreign ministers are due to discuss the bloc's relations with Cuba at a meeting scheduled to take place next month in Luxembourg. (dpa)