Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PRAGUE184
2006-02-17 15:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Prague
Cable title:  

CZECHS VIEWS ON EVOLVING EU CUBA POLICY

Tags:  PREL KDEM EUN CU EZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1337
PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHPG #0184 0481555
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 171555Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY PRAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6981
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0045
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0094
C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000184 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NCE; CALEB MCCARRY, WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2016
TAGS: PREL KDEM EUN CU EZ
SUBJECT: CZECHS VIEWS ON EVOLVING EU CUBA POLICY

Classified By: A/DCM Michael Dodman for reasons 1.4 b+d.

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000184

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NCE; CALEB MCCARRY, WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2016
TAGS: PREL KDEM EUN CU EZ
SUBJECT: CZECHS VIEWS ON EVOLVING EU CUBA POLICY

Classified By: A/DCM Michael Dodman for reasons 1.4 b+d.


1. (C) A/DCM met February 17 with Jakub Skalnik, Czech MFA
Director for the Americas, to discuss a range of issues,
including Cuba policy. Skalnik, a self-professed hardliner on
Cuba, said he hoped the Czechs would join with Poland,
Slovakia, and possibly the Germans and the Dutch, in making
the EU recognize the Castro regime has not responded to
dialogue, and the human rights situation is further
deteriorating. He hoped that this year's review of the EU's
Cuba policy would produce agreement on a statement clearly
condemning the regime and calling for the immediate release
of all political prisoners, but was guarded in his level of
optimism. He noted that sentiment among EU members on Cuba
appeared to be moderating, i.e., there is less support for
the Spanish position, but that the consensus was still far
from the Czech position.


2. (C) Skalnik outlined his thoughts for the March 7 COLAT
meeting, ideas which he will first clear with FM Svoboda,
another committed foe of the Castro regime. In recent days
the Austrian EU Presidency had proposed to member states a
compromise position on the issue of dissident attendance at
national day celebrations in Havana. Under the Austrian
proposal, each mission would hold two receptions: the first
for the diplomatic corps, EU nationals, and host government
officials; and the second for civil society, and members of
the opposition. Skalnik said the Czechs oppose this proposal,
recognizing that under such a system the first reception
would be the "real one" and the other would have diminished
status. Skalnik, although he believes that national day
celebrations are a matter for each individual member state,
said he is prepared to accept a 2-reception solution if the
civil society and opposition leaders were invited to join the
diplomatic corps and EU citizens, and Cuban officials were
the ones relegated to a separate reception. He thought the
Slovaks would also support this position, but was less
certain about the Poles. Another element of the Czech
position is likely to be agreement that if one country breaks
with the EU common practice on national day reception, none
of the other countries would be bound by them.


3. (C) Comment: Skalnik, still relatively new as Director for
the Americas, is actively seeking new ways to move the Cuba
issue forward. He will accompany Czech Deputy Foreign
Minister Tomas Pojar to a February 21 conference in Miami of
regional Czech Ambassadors, which will include extended
discussion on ways forward in both Cuba and Venezuela.
Following this conference, Pojar will visit Washington for
consultations.
CABANISS