RESPONSE TO ACTION REQUEST: CUBA: COUNTRY BY

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 003215 WHA/CCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2018 TAGS: CU ETRD ETTC PREL SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO ACTION REQUEST: CUBA: COUNTRY BY COUNTRY REVIEW FOR SUSPENSION OF TITLE III OF THE LIBERTAD ACT REF: A. A. STATE 126578 ¶B. B. NEW DELHI 02459 ¶C. C. NEW DELHI 05139 Classified By: John Fennerty, Acting Minister Counselor for Economic Af fairs, for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) In response to the reftel request for information on India's relations with Cuba, Embassy New Delhi provides the following assessment based on the most recent and readily available information. Overall Friendly and Symbolic Relations -------------- ¶2. (C) As members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM),India and Cuba maintain friendly relations from years of shared interests during the Cold War era. As a result, high level officials have paid visits to the each others, countries to participate in NAM summits and meetings throughout the years. Such visits have become primarily symbolic and not high-stakes in nature. Aside from an affable and somewhat nostalgic NAM bond, economic collaboration remains the area with the most potential for growth within the Cuba-India relationship. India Makes Statement Rejecting Embargo at the UN -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) At the UN General Assembly in October 2008, Indian delegate Rajeev Shukla stated that India supports categorical rejection of economic, commercial and financial embargos on Cuba by the international community and requested that the U.S. lift its embargo. Post is unaware of any actions taken by India towards promoting the advancement of democracy, civil society, or human rights in Cuba, nor any public statements or governmental actions condemning human rights abuses. Small Number of Diplomatic Visits -------------- ¶4. (C) There has been no high-level diplomatic visits from India to Cuba in the past six months, however, Post notes that there has been an increasing number of Indian visitors over the past three years (see Refs B and C). The most recent visit took place in January 2008 when the Speaker of Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, Somnath Chatterjee, led a parliamentary delegation to Havana. During his visit, Chatterjee spoke about expanding bilateral relations in the fields of medicine, biotechnology, and sports. Cuban visitors to India in the past year have included Vice-Minister for Foreign Trade Eduardo Escandell �0A;Amador as part of a business delegation in May 2008, and Head of the International Affairs Department for the Communist Party of Cuba, Ramirez Fernandez, in March 2008. USD $2 Million in Disaster Assistance -------------- 5.(C) On November 12, 2008 GOI donated USD $2 million to Cuba for relief from damage caused by hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The donation was officially made in Havana by Indian Ambassador Mitra Vasisht during a meeting with Cuban First Deputy Minister for Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation (MINVEC),Ramon Ripoli. According to local sources, this was an unusual act and the first time India has provided such financial assistance to Cuba. Trade Still Too Difficult To Be Substantial -------------- ¶6. (C) In the 1980s, total bilateral trade between India and Cuba reached as high as USD $300 million. In contrast, the current level of bilateral trade is minimal at USD 33 million. Cuba reportedly would like to return bilateral trade to its previous high levels, using USD 300 million as a target. Indian exports to Cuba remain low due to the lack of access to foreign exchange in the hands of importing Cuban entities, the difficulties of doing business with Cuba,s socialist system, the small volume of orders for goods and relatively high transport costs from India. Exports via third countries, including Spain, Canada, and Panama, are reportedly more substantial, as are Cuban exports to India via third countries. The main commodities traded between India and Cuba include electronic items, cotton yarn fabrics, drugs and pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals, plastic and linoleum products and spices. Primary exports from Cuba to India include vaccines, medicines, nickel and cigars. Opening of EXIM Bank Line of Credit -------------- ¶7. (C) The Indian Government,s waiver of the $62 million debt payable by Cuban companies to firms in India has facilitated the availability of credit from India,s export-import bank and the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India to Cuba, which should enhance bilateral trade and investment. Talks on opening lines of credit are at an advanced stage for projects relating to fertilizers, chemicals, pumps, public health and automobiles. Oil is India,s Primary Investment -------------- ¶8. (C) India,s primary investment in Cuba is through ONGC Videsh Limited(OVL),the overseas subsidiary of India,s state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation. OVL set up an office in Havana in 2007 and owns two sea blocks in Cuban waters for oil exploration. The company also partners with Spain,s Repsol YPF and Norway,s Norsk Hydro in six blocks. OLV controls 30 percent of the shares, Repsol controls 40 percent and the remaining 30 is owned by Norsk Hydro. Indian observers estimate the hydrocarbon potential of the blocks to be 4 billion barrels; however, experts believe that the oil fields are not yet economically viable for drilling due to a lack of refinery capacity and difficulty in reaching the oil. ¶9. (C) In July 2008, Cuba invited Indian investment in a new refinery project planned on the west coast of Cuba. The project is slated to have a capacity of 150 thousand barrels-a-day (7.5 million tons per annum). Cuba also invited Indian investment to upgrade and expand its existing refineries. Cooperative Agreement for the Oil and Gas Sector -------------- -------------- ¶10. (C) In June 2008, India and Cuba finalized the India-Cuba Hydrocarbon Agreement for cooperation in the oil and gas sector. Local media reports that Indian Minister for Oil and Gas Deora will visit Cuba to sign the agreement when the first production well begins to drill. India and Cuba have several other minor cooperative agreements and MOUs focusing on cultural relations; science and technology; consumer protection; renewable energy and sports. Minimal Biotech Investment -------------- ¶11. (C) Although there is only one joint venture of significance in the biotech sector, India encourages its biotech companies to seek deals with Cuba,s biotech industry and the two countries have agreed to supply each other with generic medicines. Bicon Bio Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, a joint venture between a Cuban enterprise and Bicon initiated in 2002, is working to produce vaccines against cancer and other medicines. Cuba has invited Indian investment for similar projects in tourism, housing construction, sanitation, hydroelectric and wind energy. An Increase in Business and Trade Delegations -------------- -- ¶12. (C) For the first time in 15 years, an Indian business delegation participated in the 26th International Havana Trade Fair in November 2008. The delegation represented tourism, textiles, chemicals, agri-businesses, energy, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, wood and paper, automobiles and construction industries. Post was unable to identify companies that sent representatives to the Trade Fair. ¶13. (C) In May of 2008, Cuba sent a large delegation consisting of over 20 government officials and business leaders to India to revive bilateral trade ties. The delegation held trade discussions with India,s major business chambers, leading business houses such as the Tata Group, and government officials to promote investment into Cuba. Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade, Eduardo Escandell Amador met with Tata Group to discuss sourcing cars (particularly the new Nano),trucks, and buses from the company. The delegation identified areas of cooperation including energy-saving devices, computers, home appliances, medicines and medical devices. The possibility of importing rice from India was also discussed at the delegation,s meetings. Token Exchange Programs -------------- ¶14. (C) India and Cuba maintain friendly cultural relations programs that provide for exchange of artists; writers; archivists and students for short periods of time. India also provides Cuba with fifty Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation scholarships annually. Cuba provides coaches for India's sports programs under an MOU for sports cooperation signed by India's Minister of Sports in his February 2007 visit to Cuba. The Indian Embassy in Cuba notes that there are four medical students currently in Havana. Post has found no evidence of Cuban-paid medical travel for Indian nationals and was not been able to assess the number, if any, of Cuban doctors working in India. Comment: Effect on Indo-U.S. Ties -------------- ¶15. (C) The ongoing transformation of US-India relations has improved our ability to engage in frank and open discussions with the GOI on third-country relations. Actions against Indian entities or nationals in US courts for trafficking in confiscated property in Cuba would likely trigger a negative response among the Indian public, government, and political circles, particularly among the robust left political parties. While unlikely to derail the overall positive direction of our bilateral partnership, it would perhaps create an unhelpful undertone within the relationship. The economic implications of such actions would likely be minimal. MULFORD