NORWAY'S LIBERTAD ACT REVIEW, MAY 2009

C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000352 SIPDIS FOR WHA/CCA GABRIELA ZAMBRANO E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/18/2019 TAGS: ETRD ETTC PREL CU NO SUBJECT: NORWAY'S LIBERTAD ACT REVIEW, MAY 2009 REF: A. SECSTATE 48487 ¶B. OSLO 0656 Classified By: Political Counselor Kristen Bauer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) The paragraphs in this cable are keyed to questions in reftel (A),paragraph 5. Poloff met with Kjersti Rodsmoen, MFA Latin America section director, to discuss Cuba policy. Norway continues to pursue a strategy of limited engagement toward Cuba in order to advance human rights, and, indirectly, democracy. On May 18, 2009, Switzerland hosted a seminar on Human Rights that included Spain, Cuba and Norway. The topic discussed was the UPR reports to the Human Rights Council. There was also an exchange of views on issues of torture. ¶2. (C) Rodsmoen said that the Norwegian Embassy in Cuba maintains regular contact with dissidents and civil society organizations in Cuba. ¶3. (C) In January, Minister Haakon Gulbrandsen visited Cuba to establish cooperation on natural disaster preparedness, in an initiative with also targets Bangladesh, Vietnam and China. In February, Minister of Culture and Sports Trond Giske visited Havana for a book fair, which featured Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder's book Sophie's World . During the reporting period, Norway replaced its charge d'affaires in Cuba with a full Ambassador. ¶4. (C) There are only a few Norwegian business interests in Cuba, including a limited joint venture project with Indian and Spanish oil companies, tourism, and imports of cigars. ¶5. (C) There are no bilateral trade agreements between Norway and Cuba. Cuba was recently added as a "limited cooperation partner" to Norway's Oil for Development program; the practical implication of this is that Norway will host some seminars on environmental issues and regulation of Cuba's nascent oil industry. This represents the re-starting of a program that was cancelled in early 2000 when relations between Cuba and Norway were frozen. ¶6. (C) There are no state-sponsored or sanctioned exchange programs between Norway and Cuba. WHITNEY