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