SLOVENIA: WILL SUPPORT COMMON EU POSITION ON CUBA

C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000366 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/NCE AND EUR/ERA E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2015 TAGS: PREL PHUM CU SI EUN SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: WILL SUPPORT COMMON EU POSITION ON CUBA REF: SECSTATE 102505 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Dean J. Haas for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Pol-Miloff delivered reftel talking points to MFA EU Department staffers Peter Grk and Vesna Hojnik on 06 June. Grk pointed out that Cuba is "not in Slovenia's strategic interest zone" and that Slovenia would only weigh in on the debate surrounding suspension of restrictive measures in order to ensure that human rights are respected as a pillar of EU foreign policy. Nonetheless, he promised to forward the talking points to colleagues at the Slovenian Mission to the EU, and he said the U.S. position would be taken into consideration as Slovenia formulates its own position. Hojnik added that Slovenia would likely support the common EU position emerging from the discussion of Cuba at the COLAT and GAERC meetings. She said Slovenia is "in favor of honest and constructive dialogue with Cuba." Slovenia handles its bilateral relationship with Cuba through the Slovenian Embassy in Madrid. ROBERTSON NNNN 2005LJUBLJ00366 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL v1.6.2