Estonia on EU Engagement with Cuba

C O N F I D E N T I A L TALLINN 000003 SIPDIS AMEMBASSY ANKARA PASS TO AMCONSUL ADANA AMEMBASSY ASTANA PASS TO AMCONSUL ALMATY AMEMBASSY BERLIN PASS TO AMCONSUL DUSSELDORF AMEMBASSY BERLIN PASS TO AMCONSUL LEIPZIG AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PASS TO AMEMBASSY PODGORICA AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PASS TO AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG AMEMBASSY ATHENS PASS TO AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PASS TO AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PASS TO AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/01/06 TAGS: PHUM PREL SOCI CU EN SUBJECT: Estonia on EU Engagement with Cuba REF: 09 STATE 131637 CLASSIFIED BY: Marc Nordberg, Pol/Econ Chief, State; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) Classified by DCM Karen Decker for Reasons 1.4 B & D. ¶1. (SBU) Pol Chief delivered reftel aide memoire to Ambassador Juri Kahn, MFA Director for Latin America, Africa, and the Arab World (and acting Cuba desk officer) on January 4. Estonia has had diplomatic relations with Cuba since the early 1990's, when Cuba recognized Estonia's re-independence. However, Estonia does not have a mission in Havana, nor anywhere else in Latin America. Estonia's main interest in Cuba has stemmed from the interest of several parliamentarians, including former PM Mart Laar, in supporting democratic transition. ¶2. (C) Regarding EU policy, Kahn called Spain's position, as the new EU President, both "strange and difficult to understand." Spain is trying to encourage EU states to improve relations with Cuba at the expense of ties with the opposition, according to Kahn. In contrast, Kahn emphasized that the GOE supports engaging the Cuban Government, but only as a means to influence Cuba towards democracy. Estonia cannot accept any policy that forgets about the Cuban opposition. Kahn laid out three elements of Estonia's Cuba policy: all meetings with the GOC have to be balanced by meetings with the democratic opposition; Cuba must free its political prisoners; and Cuba should be encouraged to undertake reforms providing democracy, free speech and freedom of assembly. Khan noted, however, that because the GOE is so far removed from Cuba, and receives the majority of its information about Cuba from the press, that Estonia cannot be as staunch and active a supporter of democratic change as is, for example, the Czech Republic. ¶3. (U) Kahn stated that when Cuba begins its reform, Estonia will be ready/eager to share its own political and economic transition experiences with the Cubans. DECKER