CUBAN FM DISCUSSES EU POLICY IN PORTUGAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L LISBON 000750

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR WHA A/S SHANNON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2026
TAGS: PREL CU PO
SUBJECT: CUBAN FM DISCUSSES EU POLICY IN PORTUGAL

REF: LISBON 670

Classified By: POL CHIEF TROY FITRELL, REASONS 1.4 (B,D)


1. (C) Summary: During a March 16 visit to Lisbon, Cuban
Foreign Minister Perez discussed the EU,s Cuba policy with
Portuguese Foreign Minister Amado, urging Portugal to support
greater EU-Cuba engagement. Amado responded that the Cuban
government needed to undertake major political reform before
EU policy could change. Amado held out the idea that should
Cuba take significant action, such as freeing political
prisoners, Portugal would advocate a less stringent policy
within the EU. Perez reportedly said that the Cuban
government was already engaged in high-level talks with
Washington on the subject of political prisoners, aided by
the Spanish. End summary.


2. (SBU) Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque visited
Portugal March 16 for discussions with Portuguese Foreign
Minister Luis Amado as part of a greater European tour which
included Geneva, Madrid and Rome. Amado,s diplomatic
advisor, Paulo Lourenco, told us that the two ministers who
have known one another for years, had a private meeting with
no notetakers, followed by a lunch with senior staff. Amado
briefed his staff following the visit.


3. (C) Lourenco related that Perez complained vociferously
about the European Union (EU) policy on Cuba, as it
effectively proscribed the two from pursuing a positive
relationship. Amado reportedly stressed that the EU,s
relationship with Cuba was governed by the same criteria that
governed its relationship with any state, namely human rights
and the rule of law. The EU, noted Amado, needed to stick by
its fundamental principles and that it would be better for
Cuba to fix the underlying problems than to complain about
the EU,s response.


5. (C) According to Lourenco, Amado told Perez that the EU
would need a significant gesture by Cuba, after which
Portugal could push for a less stringent Cuba policy within
the EU. Amado noted that the two sides needed to break the
impasse - in which Cuba and the EU each waited for the other
to take first action - by acting in near tandem. Should Cuba
take significant action such as releasing political
prisoners, enacting a moratorium on the death penalty, and
ratifying certain international agreements, Amado suggested,
the EU would be prepared to respond quickly with diplomatic,
cultural, and especially economic overtures.


6. (C) Lourenco told us that at the mention of releasing
political prisoners, Perez said Cuba was engaged in
high-level discussions with Washington on that very topic,
aided by the Spanish. Perez reportedly suggested that
Portugal could play a useful role in the discussions with
Washington. Lourenco told us that he had discussed Cuba with
WHA A/S Shannon recently and hoped the embassy would relay
this message to A/S Shannon as soon as possible.


7. (U) On the media front, the Cuban diplomat took the
occasion of his visit to criticize publicly the former
conservative governments in Portugal, Spain, and Italy that
he said had soured relations between Cuba and the European
Union at the behest of the United States. As each of those
three states now have Socialist governments, Perez noted in a
press conference that a new opportunity for engagement was
possible.

Comment
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8. (C) The Cubans continue to press their case for greater
diplomatic engagement with the EU, seeking to exploit the
lack of a common EU position on Cuba. If Perez had hoped to
sway Portugal to adopt a more pro-Cuba stance around which
other EU member-states might rally during its upcoming EU
Presidency, he failed. As Amado noted, absent major reform,
post does not predict a shift in engagement policy.


9. (C) Amado's instruction to Lourenco to contact us in
advance of the Amado-Perez meeting (reftel) underscores his
commitment to coordinate closely with the USG on Cuba issues.
No doubt, the MFA is hoping that Portugal can play a useful
role in the ongoing dialogue as outlined in para 6,
consistent with its desire for Portugal to play a greater
role in the international arena.
Hoffman