UAE RESPONSE: CUBA: COUNTRY BY COUNTRY REVIEW FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 001104 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP AND WHA/CCA/HILLSMAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2019 TAGS: PREL ETTC ETRD CU AE SUBJECT: UAE RESPONSE: CUBA: COUNTRY BY COUNTRY REVIEW FOR SUSPENSION OF TITLE III OF THE LIBERTAD ACT REF: STATE 115416 Classified by Ambassador Richard Olson, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Cuba and the UAE maintain diplomatic relations, but neither country has an embassy in the other capital. ¶2. (C) Embassy responses to reftel questions follow: - Has the UAE, in Post's opinion, worked to promote the advancement of democracy and human rights in Cuba? Post sees no evidence to date of UAE actions designed specifically to promote human rights or democracy in Cuba. - Has the UAE made public statements or undertaken other governmental actions, such as resolutions in national assemblies condemning human rights abuses in Cuba; or actions in support of civil society in Cuba through the host country's diplomatic missions or other fora? Post is not aware of any UAEG statements with regards to human rights or civil society in Cuba. - Have there been any high-level diplomatic visits between Cuba and the UAE in the past six months? On October 3, during a tour of twelve Central and South American countries, Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (AbZ) made the first bilateral visit of a senior UAEG official to Cuba. AbZ met with Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Vice President of the Council of Ministers Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, and Foreign Trade and Investment Minister Rodrigues Dias. While not directly acknowledged, the Foreign Minister's visit is believed to be directly related to Cuba's support for the UAE to host the International Renewable Energy Agency. - What is the nature of investments (and names, if known) that the UAE businesses have in Cuba? None known. - Are there any bilateral trade agreements or other cooperative agreements between the UAE and Cuba? During AbZ's October 3 visit, the UAE and Cuba reportedly signed two agreements relating to political consultations between their foreign ministries and enhanced trade and investment cooperation. While AbZ called on Cuban investors to visit the UAE, Ministry of Foreign Trade officials report that the trade agreement is a generic framework for future cooperation and does not include specific trade or investment facilitation. - Are there any exchange programs between the UAE and Cuba, including but not limited to: scholarships for host country nationals to study in Cuba; Cuban-paid medical travel for UAE nationals; and Cuban doctors working in the UAE? Post is unaware of any exchange programs between the two countries. OLSON