US embassy cable - 04PARIS8227

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 008227 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/11/2014 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, FR, CU 
SUBJECT: FRANCE'S EU/CUBA POSITION 
 
REF: A. STATE 228300 
 
     B. STATE 223497 
 
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary: Poloff delivered reftel demarche and 
non-paper to MFA Cuba Desk Officer Eric Chaux and U.S. desk 
officer Jean-Charles Bou on November 12.  Chaux opened by 
saying that even if there were a change in the EU common 
policy toward Cuba, the GoF would remain critical of the 
Castro regime's human rights record and stress that the 
gesture of releasing seven of the imprisoned dissidents for 
health reasons was not sufficient.  Additionally, he 
continued, the GoF saw no reason to change its position on 
Cuba at the UN.  Chaux asserted that the GoF had been 
considering its position on the EU policy with regards to 
Cuba in light of Spanish efforts to change approaches, but 
had not yet reached any conclusions.  Chaux added that France 
would use the upcoming November 16 COLAT meeting to debate 
the merits of the sanctions put in place in June 2003 and 
reach a common decision with the other EU member states. 
However, despite his insistence that the GoF was still 
undecided, Chaux seemed to be letting us know that the GoF 
would likely support changes to EU policy proposed by Spain. 
End summary. 
 
2.  (C) Chaux underlined that the U.S. and EU shared the same 
goal for Cuba: improvement in the human rights situation and 
peaceful evolution to democracy.  The November 16 debate 
would be an opportunity for the EU to evaluate the 
effectiveness of its policy in making progress towards these 
goals.  Chaux noted that some EU countries felt that the 
freezing of communications between the GoC and European 
Embassies in Havana as a result of the June 2003 sanctions 
had cut off their ability to work with more moderate, 
non-hardline members of the Cuban government.  He emphasized 
that if the EU policy changed, it would not be because the EU 
was less critical of Cuba or that the GoF would stop working 
with the opposition.  In fact, Chaux hypothesized, a change 
in policy might allow more interaction with the opposition, 
albeit in a less visible and symbolic manner than inviting 
then to national day celebrations. The EU would have to weigh 
the "gains" of these symbolic invitations against the "loss" 
of access to some members of the GoC.  Chaux remarked that 
the GoF had not specifically considered any of the 
recommendations proposed in the U.S. non-paper, but that 
these proposals would likely be a part of the November 16 
discussions.  Comment: We believe that Chaux's "hypothetical" 
musings indicate that the GoF is seriously considering 
supporting, if not already planning to actively support, the 
Spanish proposed changes to EU policy.  End comment. 
 
3.  (C) Poloff mentioned that new MFA Director for the 
Americas Daniel Parfait would be traveling to Washington in 
December and had requested meetings with A/S Jones and A/S 
Noriega, and that Cuba would likely be a topic of 
conversation.  Chaux hoped that the meetings would be an 
opportunity to reinforce U.S./French common goals for Cuba 
and an occasion to brainstorm together about Cuba's future. 
As subjects for discussion, Chaux specifically mentioned the 
roles of dissidents and the Florida diaspora after the 
dictatorship as well as U.S. strategies for the various 
possible scenarios in a post-Castro Cuba. 
Wolff 
 
 
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