DENMARK CONCERNED ABOUT EU COMMISSIONER'S CUBA

C O N F I D E N T I A L COPENHAGEN 000100 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA, EUR E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2017 TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV EUN CU DA SUBJECT: DENMARK CONCERNED ABOUT EU COMMISSIONER'S CUBA VISIT REF: STATE 20108 Classified By: Pol/Econ Counselor Bill Mozdzierz, reasons 1.4b,d (C) The Danish government was dismayed to learn that dates had been fixed for EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel's planned trip to Cuba, Lars Bredal of the Danish MFA's Latin America and Asia department told us February 28. Bredal, whose previous posting was in Brussels, suggested that Michel represents an ongoing challenge, and said that Denmark and other member states must impress upon him the need to adhere to the EU's Common Position, assuming his visit goes forward as planned. Bredal agreed with our assessment that the visit is ill-timed and pledged that the Danes and like-minded EU partners will do what they can to avoid sending the wrong signal or otherwise undermining the EU's position on human rights and democracy in Cuba. LEARY