FINLAND: CHR RESOLUTION ON CUBA

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000320

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR IO, WHA, EUR/NB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM CU FI UNCHR EUN
SUBJECT: FINLAND: CHR RESOLUTION ON CUBA

REF: SECSTATE 44494

(SBU) Poloff delivered reftel demarche and draft resolution
to officials in the MFA's Global Affairs Bureau on March 15.
The Finnish officials said that while they shared U.S.
concerns about Cuba's human rights abuses, no decisions had
been made at the MFA as regards the Cuba resolution at the
UNCHR. Moreover, the Finnish official specifically
responsible for the Cuba resolution was in Geneva and
unavailable for comment. The MFA officials said that Finland
would support whatever common or consensus position emerged
during EU deliberations on the issue; they believed that
Finland was unlikely to play a leading role in such
deliberations, however. One official opined that she
believed Spain would play the lead role in crafting the EU's
strategy as regards the resolution.
MACK