GABON AND SAO TOME: CUBAN CONNECTIONS WITH GABON

UNCLAS LIBREVILLE 000540 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR A/C FOR LISA KORTE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD ETTC GB TP CU SUBJECT: GABON AND SAO TOME: CUBAN CONNECTIONS WITH GABON AND SAO TOME LIMITED REF: 09 SECSTATE 115416 ¶1. Per reftel, post provides the following information regarding Gabonese-Cuban and Sao Tomean-Cuban relations. Gabonese and Cuban Government contacts are extremely limited. Sao Tomean relations with Cuba are more established, but still quite limited. The most visible signs of the relationship are a small handful of student exchanges in both Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe. Cuba sponsors around 20 Gabonese students via scholarships to study technical subjects in Cuba and is currently supporting six specialist physicians in Sao Tome and Principe and funds approximately 160 exchange students studying in Cuba. This is the only governmental-to-governmental interaction of any kind between Cuban and Gabon/Sao Tome and Principe. ¶2. In regards to Gabon, neither the Gabonese or Cuban governments has permanent representation in the other. There has not been any high-level contact between the two countries within the last number of years. There are no signs of foreign assistance between Gabon and Cuba, nor is there military-to-military cooperation. There is no significant investment in either country by the other. There are no bilateral trade agreements between Gabon and Cuba. ¶3. In regards to Sao Tome and Principe, neither country maintains permanent representation to the other, though the Cuban embassy to Luanda is also accredited to Sao Tome. There are currently six Cuban physicians in Sao Tome and Principe ) a general surgeon, two obstetricians, an anesthesiologist, a psychiatrist and a pediatrician. In 2009 160 exchange students from Sao Tome attended Cuban universities studying a variety of subjects. There are no signs of foreign assistance between Sao Tome and Principe and Cuba, nor is there military-to-military cooperation. There is no significant investment in either country by the other. There are no bilateral trade agreements active between Sao Tome and Principe and Cuba. ¶4. Both the Gabonese and Sao Tomean Governments have offered limited, but positive, support to the United States in international forums. Due to limited contact between Cuba and the two countries, there has been no significant effort by Gabon or Sao Tome and Principe to improve human rights or political rights in Cuba. REDDICK