CZECH REPUBLIC: REVIEW FOR WAIVER OF TITLE III OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 001250

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2012
TAGS: ETRD ETTC PREF CU EZ XG
SUBJECT: CZECH REPUBLIC: REVIEW FOR WAIVER OF TITLE III OF
THE LIBERTAD ACT

REF: A. STATE 158768

B. PRAGUE 1224

Classified By: POLEC Counselor Michael Dodman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).


1. (U) The Czech Republic has a strong record of active
engagement and support for democracy, human rights and
fundamental freedoms in Cuba. Former Czech President Vaclav
Havel, an internationally recognized advocate for human
rights, established the Czech government's principled
position on Cuba during his administration, following the
Czech Republic's own transition from a totalitarian regime in

1989. All subsequent Czech political leaders have continued
this policy of support for the peaceful democratic dissident
movement in Cuba and have consistently called for the release
of all political prisoners. The Czech Republic has not
recognized the transfer of power to Raul Castro. The MFA
Department for Human Rights and Transition Policy has
identified Cuba as one of its "priority countries," and thus
provides financial assistance to Czech NGOs, such as People
in Need, which provides humanitarian aid, capacity training,
and other support for journalists, dissidents and their
families.

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Czech Leadership within the EU
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2. (C) Within the EU, the Czech Republic has been one of our
strongest allies on human rights issues, particularly with
respect to Cuba. This month after receiving our proposals
(reftel B) on ways to promote substantive change within Cuba,
the GOCR reached out to other EU member states in an attempt
to rally EU support for our proposals. In June of this year
the EU Foreign Ministers at the EU GAERC took up their annual
review of the "June Measures," which restrict contact between
EU members and the Cuba regime. While the EU FMs did agree to
suspend the "June Measures," the Czech Republic was
instrumental in ensuring the EU did not simply abolish these
measures. Among EU countries, the Czechs are also one of the
strongest supporters of the policy of inviting Cuban
dissidents to National Day festivities.

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No Substantive Czech Trade or Investment
--------------


3. (U) The Czech Republic does not have any foreign
investments in Cuba. As an EU member state, the GOCR does
not have any bilateral trade agreements, including with Cuba.
There are, however, no trade restriction on private
companies that want to do business in Cuba. According to the
Ministry of Industry Trade (MPO),private trade between the
two nations fell significantly in 2007. The Czech
Statistical Office reported that trade with Cuba totalled
US$34 million in 2006, but during the first nine months of
2007, Czech trade with Cuba was around US$16 million. There
are no student exchange programs.


4. (C) Comment: A waiver of the right to bring an action
against entities and nationals of the Czech Republic is
necessary to U.S. national interests. Loss of this waiver
would jeopardize our partnership with a country that has been
leading the way on efforts to force the Cuban regime to meet
international standards of human rights. Our cooperation
would definitely be negatively affected if the GOCR were to
lose the Title III waiver, especially since it has been one
of our best partners on Cuba and certainly has one of the
highest profiles within the EU on promotion of human rights
issues around the world.
Graber