Estonia on EU Engagement with Cuba

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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