CUBA -- EU RESPONSE ON LIBERTAD ACT TITLE III

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 002859 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2014 TAGS: ETTC PREL CU EUN USEU BRUSSELS SUBJECT: CUBA -- EU RESPONSE ON LIBERTAD ACT TITLE III DETERMINATION REF: SECSTATE 145203 Classified By: Political Officer Maren Smith for reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) We discussed reftel points with Karl Buck, Head of the Council Secretariat's Latin America Division, on July 2. Buck immediately asserted that he had not heard of any such paper but could not exclude the possibility of some member-states having prepared their own reports. The EU would discuss relations with CUBA at its regularly-scheduled July 6 Latin America Working Group meeting; Buck expected a few member-states to raise specific issues, which could include concerns about U.S. policy. Asked whether he thought the PSC might discuss CUBA the same day, he said that although the issue was primarily economic rather than political, he could not rule out the possibility that the PSC would consider it. We re-emphasized that the U.S. was still analyzing current policies toward CUBA and had not made any decisions yet regarding Title III suspension. Buck replied that the U.S.-EU Understanding had worked very well, and added that he hoped "we were not entering very dangerous ground." ¶2. (C) Points were also shared with the Dutch PSC Ambassador. SCHNABEL