EU/CUBA: IRISH VIEWS

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000030

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/11/2015
TAGS: PREL PHUM EUN
SUBJECT: EU/CUBA: IRISH VIEWS

REF: STATE 4900

Classified By: DCM JONATHAN BENTON FOR REASONS 1.4 B AND D

(C) On January 11, POL/ECON Chief delivered reftel demarche
to Margaret Stanley, Americas desk officer, and emphasized
steps Ireland can take even though it does not have an
embassy in Cuba, such as inviting dissidents to Europe and
supporting their work in Cuba, supporting an EU visa ban
regime targetting human rights abusers, and raising concerns
with the Cuban mission in Ireland. Stanley said that Ireland
is concerned about the human rights situation in Cuba. The
Director for Latin America regularly meets with the Cuban DCM
(the Cuban ambassador is resident in London),and recently
called him in to urge that all dissidents be released from
prison. Stanley is circulating U.S. ideas around DFA as well
as with the Irish embassy in Mexico, which covers Cuba, and
will touch base following GOI review.
KENNY