FINLAND: NO CHANGE IN CUBA POLICY

C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 001535 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CCA AND EUR/NB E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2014 TAGS: ETTC PREL CU FI SUBJECT: FINLAND: NO CHANGE IN CUBA POLICY REF: A. SECSTATE 259685 ¶B. HELSINKI 00860 Classified By: POLOFF DAVID ALLEN SCHLAEFER FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Poloff spoke with Veikko Suralahti in the Office for Caribbean and Central American Affairs at Finland's MFA and confirmed that there has been no change in Finland's policy toward or contacts with Cuba since Ref. B was drafted. Finland does not have an Embassy in Havana and has little contact with the Cuban Government. There is no direct bilateral development assistance from Finland to Cuba, and no current plans for such assistance in the future. Finland supports and will continue to support the EU common position on Cuba. ¶2. (U) Finland's Customs Agency reports the following level of trade with Cuba: 2003: Imports: 1.036 million Euro Exports: 1.450 million Euro 2004 (Jan-Sep): Imports: 9.210 million Euro Exports: 3.480 million Euro MACK