(C) UK INTERESTED IN CUBAN HUMAN RIGHTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 004126 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2017 TAGS: PHUM UNGA ETRD UN CU EU AR UK SUBJECT: (C) UK INTERESTED IN CUBAN HUMAN RIGHTS APPROACHES; SEES NO IMPACT ON FALKLANDS FROM KIRCHNER VICTORY REF: A) STATE 148506 B) STATE 147620 C) LONDON 2586 Classified By: Charge Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (C) Summary. Chris Wood, Head of the Foreign Office's Americas Directorate, told the Charge that the UK shares the goal of promoting democratic change in Cuba and is interested in several of the U.S. proposals for cooperation in Cuba (ref B),but it will take more U.S. lobbying in EU capitals to gain EU backing. Wood cautioned that, in pressing the EU, Washington should not suggest that the proposals reflected a U.S.-UK approach as that would backfire with certain EU members (read Spain). According to Matthew Forbes, head of the Foreign Office's Central American and Cuba Section, Raul Castro has the reins of power "in hand" and there is little reason to expect top-down political change post Fidel, although Raul appears willing to pursue economic reform "at the margins." Wood requested more information on the Freedom Fund for Cuba, announced in the President's October 24th speech. Although the UK joined the EU vote in favor of the Cuba Embargo resolution at the UN (ref A),Wood and Forbes pointed to the EU Explanation of Vote that they claimed had strongly condemned human rights abuses in Cuba. Turning to Argentina, Wood said Kirchner's election would not affect UK-Argentine relations; the question was whether Kirchner would take steps to persuade Falklands residents of the benefits of closer ties to Argentina. End Summary. Cuba Human Rights: Lobby in the EU, But Don't Name Us -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Wood told the Charge on November 1 that the UK shared the U.S. goal of supporting democracy and democratic activists during the post-Fidel Castro transition period. The UK wanted to encourage democratic change and was engaging with dissidents inside Cuba, Wood assured us. The UK and its EU partners were studying ref B's proposals for cooperative approaches to promote human rights in Cuba. "As a matter of broad principle" London would be interested in working with the U.S. Government on several, but, Wood stressed, the Foreign Office was not yet in a position to provide a detailed response. Achieving EU buy-in for working on the U.S. proposals would "not be easy," Wood warned, and will require serious lobbying in other EU capitals, in particular Madrid and perhaps Rome, which was favorable to Madrid's views on Cuba. Wood also cautioned against framing the proposals as reflecting a U.S-UK approach: in the EU "that will work against you." ¶3. (C) As evidence of the UK's bona fides as a supporter of Cuban democracy, Wood pointed to the EU's Explanation of Vote following passage of the Cuban Embargo Resolution this week. Ref A's message pressing the UK to vote against the resolution had been conveyed earlier to Wood and Forbes, and Wood noted that, although the UK had again joined with the EU in voting for the resolution, the EU had delivered an explanation of its vote that condemned Cuba's human rights record and emphasized the need for democratic change. ¶4. (C) The Charge asked Wood about HMG and EU reaction to the President's October 24th speech on Cuba. Wood said the Freedom Fund for Cuba announced in the speech had been of most interest to HMG; he asked for further information on the Fund, including the timing of its establishment. (Embassy note. Embassy has been in contact with Cuba Desk at State for further information to provide Wood. End note.) Wood had not picked up any broader EU reaction to the speech. Inside Cuba -------------- ¶5. (C) In response to the Charge's query, Forbes said it appeared Raul Castro was interested in economic reforms "at the margins," but there was no evidence that fundamental political reform from the top was likely post-Fidel. There were enough senior officials around Raul "with no interest in reform." Acknowledging that it was difficult for HMG to gather much information on senior-level thinking in Havana, Forbes said it appeared that there were not any challengers circling Raul on the question of succession; Raul had picked up the reins "fairly seamlessly." ¶6. (C) Forbes said that the President's October 24 speech had been spun inside Cuba as evidence of the U.S. effort to LONDON 00004126 002 OF 002 incite counter-revolutionary activity and espionage. The speech has clearly provoked the Cuban regime, as evidenced by the fact Foreign Minister Perez Roque delivered the government's official reply, Forbes noted. New Argentinean President -------------- ¶7. (C) Turning to the election of Christina Kirchner as Argentine President, the Charge asked Wood if her victory would affect UK-Argentine relations. Wood said that Kirchner had not made the Falklands an issue during her campaign and he did not see her victory making any immediate difference in London's relationship with Buenos Aires. The UK position on the future of the Falklands remains based on the principle of self-determination -- the question, Wood said, is whether Kirchner will initiate actions to win over Falkland residents to the view that closer relations with Argentina is in their interest. ¶8. (C) The past year -- the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Falklands War -- had been a sensitive one, Wood noted, and the UK had tried to keep the commemorative events modest. London had also taken steps to encourage cooperation on issues related to the Falklands, but the Argentines had not shown interest and had, in fact, backed away from several previously agreed areas of cooperation (Embassy note: For more on UK views of the status of Falklands and Argentine actions over the past year see ref C. End note.) Wood said that overall the two countries had excellent relations and cooperated on a lot of important issues, including counter terrorism, despite what the Argentines considered "the big issue in the room." Comment -------------- ¶9. (C) Cuba remains an issue on which the UK acts strictly within an EU framework. Any UK interest in following up on several of ref B's proposals will be in the context of EU buy-in, as Wood's comments on the need to lobby other EU capitals suggested. Wood and Forbes both indicated that the U.S. proposals are currently under discussion at the EU working group level and will likely be taken up at the ministerial level, perhaps at the next GAERC meeting. Visit London's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm Tuttle