IRELAND'S CUBA POLICY: RESPONSE TO TITLE III

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000959 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2009 TAGS: PREL PHUM ETTC EUN SUBJECT: IRELAND'S CUBA POLICY: RESPONSE TO TITLE III WAIVER REVIEW REF: A) STATE 135512 B) BRUSSELS 2733 Classified By: DCM Jane B. Fort, reason 1.4 (d) ¶1. (C) Per ref A, Ireland has used its January-June 2004 EU Presidency to maintain a tougher EU line on Cuba in support of democracy and human rights. During its Presidency, Ireland led the annual re-evaluation of the Common Position. which renewed the criticisms of the Castro regime from the prior year. DFA First Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean Jonathan Conlon told Poloff that the "political freeze" had blocked dialogue with and EU aid to Cuba, but that Ireland would not be deterred in advancing the Common Position goals of democratic reform. ¶2. (SBU) Conlon referred to statements issued by the Irish EU Presidency in May and June of this year, condemning the trials and sentencing of human rights activists and journalists, and calling on the Cuban authorities to release all political prisoners. ¶3. (C) Ireland shares our goals and objectives of reform in Cuba, and has worked hard - and successfully - throughout its Presidency to repair and renew TransAtlantic cooperation on foreign policy. We agree with USEU's assessment (ref B) that an imposition of Title III measures against Ireland, as an EU member, would be highly counterproductive to our efforts to work cooperatively with the Irish and the EU to sustain pressure on the Castro regime. KENNY