IRELAND LIKELY TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF CONDEMNATION OF

UNCLAS DUBLIN 000827 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS IO/UNP FOR JOHN MARIZ E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EI ETRD PHUM UNGA SUBJECT: IRELAND LIKELY TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF CONDEMNATION OF CUBA EMBARGO REF: STATE 148506 ¶1. (SBU) POLOFFS DELIVERED REFTEL ON OCTOBER 26, 2007 URGING A VOTE AGAINST THE CUBAN UNGA RESOLUTION ON THE U.S. EMBARGO TO GAVAN O'LEARY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RIGHTS UNIT, IRISH DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (DFA). O'LEARY RESPONDED THAT IRELAND'S DEFAULT POSITION FOR THIS ISSUE WOULD BE HOW DUBLIN VOTED THE LAST TIME - IN 2006, IRELAND VOTED IN FAVOR OF CONDEMNING THE EMBARGO. ¶2. (SBU) REGARDING THE RECENT POTUS STATEMENT ON CUBA, O'LEARY SAID IRELAND AND THE EU TOOK A DIFFERENT APPROACH FROM THE U.S., BUT SHARED THE LONG-TERM DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS GOALS, ADDING THAT IRELAND WOULD CONSIDER THE STATEMENT AND WAS AWARE OF THE SENSITIVITIES OF THE ISSUE. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: IN 2006, ALL EU COUNTRIES VOTED IN FAVOR OF ENDING THE EMBARGO. IRELAND WILL FOLLOW EU CONSENSUS AND IS UNLIKELY TO BREAK WITH ITS EU PARTNERS ON THIS ISSUE. PIERCE