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