LIBERTAD ACT: GREEK STANCE ON CUBA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 001099 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CCA, EUR/SE E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2016 TAGS: PREL ETRD ETTC CU GR SUBJECT: LIBERTAD ACT: GREEK STANCE ON CUBA REF: A. SECSTATE 57782 ¶B. 05 ATHENS 3030 Classified By: Poloff Karen Grissette for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). (U) Post provides the following answers keyed to questions posed in ref A: ¶1. (C) Vassilios Konstantineas, Expert Minister Counselor at the MFA Latin American Directorate, confirmed on April 27 that the GoG remains unaware of any substantial investments in Cuba by Greek nationals. The GoG does not maintain a comprehensive list of investments in Cuba by its nationals, and there are no known major Greek investments in Cuba, joint ventures with the Government of Cuba, or significant trading relationships with Cuba. ¶2. (C) Konstantineas suggested that there are "likely" bilateral trade agreements between Greece and Cuba, however, the MFA has not yet provided comprehensive information on any such agreements. Post will update this information when it is received. ¶3. (C) On February 20, the Vice Rector of Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Ekaterina Douka Kampitoglou, and the Cuban Ambassador to Greece, Hermes Herrera, announced a program of cooperation in fine arts, energy, administration, environment, bio-technology, informatics, and medicine between Aristotle and Cuban universities. Thessaloniki CG met with Kampitoglou April 19 and learned individual departments of Aristotle would propose cooperation programs, after which bilateral agreement governing the cooperation would be signed. According to Kampitoglou, none of the University's Departments has taken action yet, and the academic cooperation would not include any Greek investment in Cuba. Hellenic Aid, the development arm of the MFA, reported in 2006 that it has allocated 75,000 euros to reopen the vascular surgery laboratory and to supply the diabetics unit with ultrasound machinery and diagnostic equipment at the University Hospital in Santiago, as well as to create and set up laboratories to diagnose childhood encephalopathy-epilepsy at the University Hospital in Havana. ¶4. (C) In Post's opinion, Greece will continue to follow the EU common position to support the development of democracy and human rights in Cuba. Greece's bilateral relationship with Cuba remains very limited and driven by the EU agenda. ¶5. (C) There have been no high level visits between Cuba and Greece in the past six months. Ries