US embassy cable - 05PARIS3921

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 003921 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, NL, CU, FR, EUN 
SUBJECT: FRENCH OPPOSE RETURN TO EU SANCTIONS AGAINST CUBA 
 
REF: STATE 102505 
 
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Paul Mailhot for reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel points on June 3 and followed 
up with a conversation on June 6 with Pascal LeDeunff, head 
of the French MFA's Common Foreign and Security Policy 
office, the unit that prepares French input for the GAERC 
meetings.  LeDeunff took note of the U.S. position, but 
emphasized that the French position on Cuba and the 
suspension of the restrictive measures has not changed. 
LeDeunff characterized the recent EU policy as "effective," 
asserting that the EU had been able to develop a "structured, 
useful dialogue" with dissidents with their twice-yearly 
meetings with EU ambassadors in Havana, and that they had 
resumed the dialogue with the Cuban government, consistently 
emphasizing the Europeans' attachment to human rights.  "Even 
if we don't see the results yet," of the policy, he said, "it 
is a useful and effective dialogue." 
 
2. (C) LeDeunff conceded that some other EU countries were 
still considering their positions, but mentioned Spain as 
another country that planned to maintain its position against 
lifting the suspension. 
WOLFF