VZCZCXRO0093
OO RUEHGR
DE RUEHPO #0081 0591721
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 281721Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0007
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 1639
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA PRIORITY 0019

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000081 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EU CU NS
SUBJECT: PARAMARIBO FOLLOW-UP: ADVANCING THE U.S. POSITION 
FOR CHANGE IN CUBA 
 
REF: A. (A) 08 STATE 18320 
 
     ¶B. (B) 08 PARAMARIBO 74 
 
¶1. (SBU) With regret, Post advises that GOS policy with 
respect to Cuba has not changed.  As confirmed in the 
Ambassador's February 28 follow-up telcon with MFA Permanent 
Secretary Jane Aarland-Nanhu, Suriname continues to enjoy 
 
SIPDIS 
friendly relations with the GOC.  Aarland-Nanhu advised that 
the GOS had already transmitting a congratulatory note to 
incoming Cuban Leader Raul Castro.  In response to the 
Ambassador's query whether Suriname's message to Raul even 
mentioned "democracy" (reftel B, paragraph 1), the Permanent 
Secretary indicated that it did not. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
¶2. (SBU) Comment: In spite of the disappointing message, the 
fact that the MFA Permanent Secretary made the time and 
effort to follow up on Post's request is heartening and 
represents an improvement over previous years.  Although the 
USG and GOS may disagree on some fundamental issues of 
Western Hemisphere foreign policy, Post is working hard to 
build a foundation for friendlier people-to-people relations. 
 Eventually, Post hopes that friendly relations at the grass 
roots will engender greater GOS support for policy issues, 
such as democracy in Cuba, that are of fundamental importance 
to the United States.  End Comment. 
SCHREIBER HUGHES