Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09HAVANA88
2009-02-11 20:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
US Interests Section Havana
Cable title:
REFLECTIONS FROM THE EU ON PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS
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C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000088
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2019
TAGS: PREL PHUM CU EC
SUBJECT: REFLECTIONS FROM THE EU ON PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS
IN CUBA
Classified By: Chief of Mission Jonathan Farrar for reasons 1.4 (d) and
(b)
C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000088
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2019
TAGS: PREL PHUM CU EC
SUBJECT: REFLECTIONS FROM THE EU ON PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS
IN CUBA
Classified By: Chief of Mission Jonathan Farrar for reasons 1.4 (d) and
(b)
1. (SBU) During a February 10 lunch with six other chiefs of
mission, talk of the UN Human Rights Council's Universal
Periodic Review of Cuba segued into a discussion of the EU's
efforts to promote human rights in Cuba. The EU's decision
in June 2008 to change its Common Position on Cuba has led to
changes in its mission on the ground, notably an agreement to
resume EC assistance to Cuba and to expand the staff here.
2. (C) EC Chief of Mission Javier Nino noted that there has
not been any real progress on human rights in Cuba since June
2008, an evaluation with which no COM (Japan, Czech, India,
Turkey, Sweden, U.S.) disagreed. He added that he had been
in touch with the Irish Foreign Ministry regarding the
upcoming visit of Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin, and
had asked whether the Foreign Minister was interested in
meeting with representatives of Cuba's civil society. The
Foreign Ministry's answer was that the only local Irish NGO
interested in Cuba was one fully supportive of the GOC, and
thus no civil society meeting was necessary.
3. (C) COM asked how the EU would implement the provision in
its June 2008 decision that high-level visitors to Cuba would
meet with civil society when appropriate if no EU leaders
were interested in doing so. EU Commissioner Louis Michel,
for example, was well known for not meeting with civil
society during his visits to the island.
4. (C) Nino's response was that the key phrase in the EU
position was "when appropriate." Given that the GOC
consistently refuses to meet with any foreign official who
meets with members of Cuban civil society, it could be argued
that it would never be appropriate to schedule such a meeting
for visiting EU member officials. Civil society meetings
would be left to EU resident missions instead. COM noted
that most EU countries (and others) would not invite civil
society representatives to functions out of concern that GOC
officials would not attend (the Czech Republic is a notable
exception). Czech Charge d'affaires Vit Korselt said that
this choice between GOC and civil society keeps high-level
Czech officials and politicians from visiting here. No Czech
official would be comfortable coming to Cuba without meeting
with civil society, and no official would want to visit and
not meet with GOC counterparts.
5. (C) Turkish ambassador Sanivar Kizildeli asked how the
Czech charge was faring in his role as resident President of
the EU (the GOC had refused to meet with the Czech Charge for
three years prior to his assuming the six-month presidency).
Korselt said that meetings with the GOC in that role were
proceeding normally, but that the GOC continued to spurn
Czech bilateral overtures, including for cultural programs.
6. (C) Comment: The EU continues to have difficulty in
finding effective means to promote human rights in Cuba.
Yesterday's discussion reflects the GOC's consistent (and
effective) pressure on the resident diplomatic community to
play by its rules. End Comment.
FARRAR
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2019
TAGS: PREL PHUM CU EC
SUBJECT: REFLECTIONS FROM THE EU ON PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS
IN CUBA
Classified By: Chief of Mission Jonathan Farrar for reasons 1.4 (d) and
(b)
1. (SBU) During a February 10 lunch with six other chiefs of
mission, talk of the UN Human Rights Council's Universal
Periodic Review of Cuba segued into a discussion of the EU's
efforts to promote human rights in Cuba. The EU's decision
in June 2008 to change its Common Position on Cuba has led to
changes in its mission on the ground, notably an agreement to
resume EC assistance to Cuba and to expand the staff here.
2. (C) EC Chief of Mission Javier Nino noted that there has
not been any real progress on human rights in Cuba since June
2008, an evaluation with which no COM (Japan, Czech, India,
Turkey, Sweden, U.S.) disagreed. He added that he had been
in touch with the Irish Foreign Ministry regarding the
upcoming visit of Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin, and
had asked whether the Foreign Minister was interested in
meeting with representatives of Cuba's civil society. The
Foreign Ministry's answer was that the only local Irish NGO
interested in Cuba was one fully supportive of the GOC, and
thus no civil society meeting was necessary.
3. (C) COM asked how the EU would implement the provision in
its June 2008 decision that high-level visitors to Cuba would
meet with civil society when appropriate if no EU leaders
were interested in doing so. EU Commissioner Louis Michel,
for example, was well known for not meeting with civil
society during his visits to the island.
4. (C) Nino's response was that the key phrase in the EU
position was "when appropriate." Given that the GOC
consistently refuses to meet with any foreign official who
meets with members of Cuban civil society, it could be argued
that it would never be appropriate to schedule such a meeting
for visiting EU member officials. Civil society meetings
would be left to EU resident missions instead. COM noted
that most EU countries (and others) would not invite civil
society representatives to functions out of concern that GOC
officials would not attend (the Czech Republic is a notable
exception). Czech Charge d'affaires Vit Korselt said that
this choice between GOC and civil society keeps high-level
Czech officials and politicians from visiting here. No Czech
official would be comfortable coming to Cuba without meeting
with civil society, and no official would want to visit and
not meet with GOC counterparts.
5. (C) Turkish ambassador Sanivar Kizildeli asked how the
Czech charge was faring in his role as resident President of
the EU (the GOC had refused to meet with the Czech Charge for
three years prior to his assuming the six-month presidency).
Korselt said that meetings with the GOC in that role were
proceeding normally, but that the GOC continued to spurn
Czech bilateral overtures, including for cultural programs.
6. (C) Comment: The EU continues to have difficulty in
finding effective means to promote human rights in Cuba.
Yesterday's discussion reflects the GOC's consistent (and
effective) pressure on the resident diplomatic community to
play by its rules. End Comment.
FARRAR