The Cocktail Wars were a series of diplomatic conflicts between the European Union and Cuba. The wars began in 2003 when EU member states invited dissidents to official receptions at their Cuban embassies. This sparked Cuba to cut off diplomatic relations with the EU. A compromise was eventually reached.
Beginning
The conflict started in 2003 after European embassies in Cuba made a policy to invite dissidents to diplomatic receptions in the Cuban capital Havana. All EU countries pledge to do this on their national day celebrations, such as to the French embassy on Bastille Day and to the British embassy for the Queen's birthday.
This was welcomed by Havana and on 4 January 2005 Cuba normalised relations with Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom. It had already normalised relations with Spain