CZECH REPLY TO UNESCO CULTURAL DIVERSITY CONVENTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 001461 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/13/2015 TAGS: ETRD OPDC PREL SCUL EZ UNESCO BHUM EUN SUBJECT: CZECH REPLY TO UNESCO CULTURAL DIVERSITY CONVENTION REF: A. SECSTATE 184292 ¶B. PRAGUE 1371 Classified By: Political-Economic Chief Mike Dodman for reasons 1.4 b+d ¶1. (C) Pol-Econ Chief delivered Secretary's letter to Czech FM Svoboda on the UNESCO Cultural Diversity Convention (ref A) to MFA Political Director Martin Povejsil on Oct 13. Povejsil was familiar with USG positions from previous discussions (ref B). He stated that the Czechs believe the Convention will be a "useful agreement" but added that the GOCR did not have strong views in terms of the articles of concern to the U.S., nor regarding the timing of a UNESCO decision. That said, Povejsil stated firmly that the Czech stance is dictated by the common EU position on the Convention. He recommended that this is the sort of issue that is better discussed as part of a transatlantic dialogue. He encouraged USG use of the EU Troika channel to work out a US-EU compromise on the timing and content of the convention. (Povejsil added that he found the Troika channel to be very imperfect, as it does not accurately reflect the views of all EU members, but that it remains important for both the US and EU to use existing channels to add substance to the transatlantic dialogue.) CABANISS