CUBAN RESOLUTION AGAINST US EMBARGO: EU WILL VOTE

UNCLAS ROME 004924 SIPDIS FOR IO/UNO, WHA/CCA AND USUN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL ETRD CU IT UNGA SUBJECT: CUBAN RESOLUTION AGAINST US EMBARGO: EU WILL VOTE IN FAVOR REF: SECSTATE 301451 ¶1. (U) ANDREINA MARSELLA, MFA CUBA DESK OFFICER, TOLD POLOFF ON OCTOBER 29 THAT, ALTHOUGH HIGHLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN CUBA, THE EU WILL VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE CUBAN RESOLUTION. MARSELLA INFORMED POLOFF THAT THE DECISION HAD BEEN REACHED DURING AN EU LATIN AMERICA WORKING GROUP MEETING IN BRUSSELS ON OCTOBER 28. ¶2. (U) SHE STATED THAT ALTHOUGH THE EU AGREES THAT THE US EMBARGO IS A BILATERAL ISSUE AND THAT THERE ARE GRAVE HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS IN CUBA, THE EU SUPPORTS FREE TRADE AND DOES NOT BELIEVE THE EMBARGO IS THE CORRECT APPROACH TO SOLVING CUBA'S HUMAN RIGHTS PROBLEMS. ¶3. (U) WHEN POLOFF EXPRESSED THE US CONCERN THAT THE CASTRO REGIME WILL USE THE VOTE AS AN INDICATION OF EU SUPPORT FOR THE CASTRO REGIME, MARSELLA STATED THAT THE EU'S DECLARATION OF VOTE WILL UNDERLINE THE EU'S CONCERNS ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS AND WILL "URGE LASTING AND SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS IN HUMAN RIGHTS IN CUBA." SHE STATED THAT THE VOTE IS IN FAVOR OF FREE TRADE, NOT THE REGIME'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS HUMAN RIGHTS. MARSELLA CONCLUDED BY SAYING THAT THIS YEAR'S DECISION TO SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION WAS MORE DIFFICULT THAN IN THE PAST DUE TO CONTINUING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN CUBA. SEMBLER NNNN 2003ROME04924 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED