ASSISTANT SECRETARY NORIEGA DISCUSSES CUBA WITH EU

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTO DOMINGO 007444 SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, WHA/ E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/2008 TAGS: PREL PGOV CU SUBJECT: ASSISTANT SECRETARY NORIEGA DISCUSSES CUBA WITH EU AMBASSADOR AMADO Classified By: Ambassador Hans Hertell. Reason: 1.5 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) The Ambassador and Assistant Secretary Noriega Hertell met December 11 with the EU Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Miguel Amado, who also has responsibility for Cuba. Noriega expressed his hope that the USG and the EU could work together on Cuban issues, and emphasized our effort to develop strategies to respond to the inevitable transition of power in Cuba. ¶2. (C) Amado highlighted his own efforts to bring Cuba under the EU,s cultural agreement umbrella with the Caribbean, and possibly to open a EU "Cuba office" in Santo Domingo. Amado had been working hard to encourage Cuba to agree to a program that included a seminar on trade, a dialogue with dissidents, a dialogue with Castro,s technical people, and cultural activities. ¶3. (C) Amado felt he had been making progress until the EU,s criticism of Castro,s handling of dissidents. Now, he said, Castro has begun to attack European leaders and has played on European weakness to divide the EU into several camps. This divide has been critical in light of the scant attention that the EU pays Cuba, even in the best of times. Progress has been suspended for the time being. ¶4. (C) That said, Amado has not given up all hope. He told A/S Noriega and the Ambassador that he was trying to get the Church more involved. ¶5. (C) Comment: Amado, with a creative approach, has been a driver of thinking in the EU on how to deal with Cuba. He retains a keen interest in seeing political and economic reforms in Cuba, and as such, is an valuable ally for our efforts to bring about needed reform in Cuba. HERTELL