FRENCH VIEWS ON U.S.-CUBA RELATIONS AND THE EU

C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000164 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 3/12/2019 TAGS: PREL CU EU SUBJECT: FRENCH VIEWS ON U.S.-CUBA RELATIONS AND THE EU Classified By: CHIEF OF MISSION JONATHAN FARRAR FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) Chief of Mission (COM) had lunch with French Ambassador Frederic Dore on March 10 to seek his perspective on recent changes within the Government of Cuba, the pace of the EU-Cuba political dialogue, and U.S.-Cuban relations. France is a key player among EU missions here and held the local EU presidency for all of 2008. -------------- THE GOC SHAKE-UP and U.S. RELATIONS -------------- ¶2. (C) Ambassador Dore took a line similar to that of many of our diplomatic interlocutors, namely that the changes reflected Raul Castro putting his own people into place. Dore also speculated that there would be additional changes within the GOC over the next few months. He emphasized the difficulty he and his embassy have in getting a fix on views within the GOC hierarchy. COM noted the increasing role of the military within the Council of Ministers and Vice Presidents. Ambassador Dore said he finds the GOC civilian leadership to be very closed-mouthed and the military is impenetrable. France's military attache is resident in Mexico, but Dore opined that it would make no difference were he to be stationed here full time. ¶3. (C) Ambassador Dore said he believed the shake-up in good part was aimed at preparing for a potential GOC dialogue with the United States. Foreign Minister Rodriguez and Minister of Foreign Investment and Trade Malmierca both were former United Nations Permanent Representatives with long experience in New York, and in Dore's view know well the United States (Dore himself served in New York prior to coming to Havana). He said he believes the GOC now is waiting for the United States to make the first move. ¶4. (C) COM asked how the GOF and the EU would respond to potential changes in U.S. policy along the lines of those discussed during the Presidential campaign and the Secretary's confirmation hearings. Ambassador Dore said that the GOF, and probably the EU as well, would respond positively. COM asked what was meant by statements from French "Special Envoy" Jack Lang that France wished to be the "motor" for U.S.-Cuban talks. Dore admitted that he did not really know what such a role might entail, and said he did not have instructions for potential follow-up actions. He said that the principal purpose of Lang's visit was to discuss bilateral issues. -------------- THE EU and CUBA -------------- ¶5. (C) COM asked Ambassador Dore to evaluate the progress of the EU-Cuba dialogue begun following the EU's change in its common position toward Cuba in June 2008. The ambassador noted that France had played a key role in getting the dialogue underway during the French EU presidency. He said there had been little progress to date on issues such as Cuba's ratification and implementation of UN conventions or on the release of political prisoners. Nevertheless, Dore added that Cuba had taken several positive steps in the run-up to the EU decision last June and that it was conceivable that similar progress might be made in the three months remaining before the EU meets to evaluate the dialogue's progress. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (C) Ambassador Dore was realistic regarding the EU-Cuba dialogue but many in the EU will be tempted to give the GOC a pass in June to facilitate the continuation of the dialogue. Should the Administration announce changes in our policy toward Cuba, USINT recommends that we approach the EU and friends in this hemisphere to ask that they respond positively and put pressure on the GOC to respond with positive moves of its own. END COMMENT. FARRAR