VZCZCXRO9671
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHHE #0223 1421308
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 211308Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4324
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 4742
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0007

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000223 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CCA/DMCFARLAND 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD ETTC PREL CU FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: REVIEW FOR SUSPENSION OF TITLE III OF THE 
LIBERTAD ACT 
 
REF: STATE 52541 
 
(SBU) Post provides the following responses, keyed to 
questions in paragraph 5 of reftel: 
 
-- The Government of Finland has no Embassy in Cuba, 
almost no bilateral aid projects, and very little 
contact with Cuban officials or the Cuban people. 
However, Finland worked to promote human rights and 
democracy in Cuba by supporting common EU positions 
and statements.  The GoF also supported civil society 
with very limited funding (about USD 100,000 in FY 
2007) to train Cuban youth NGOs and trade unions on 
environmental protection issues and in the basic 
principles of market economy. 
 
-- The GoF supported consensus in the EU on statements 
regarding human rights abuses in Cuba and in support 
of democracy. 
 
-- There have been no high-level visits in the past 
six months. 
 
Major Finnish companies such as Wartsila and Nokia 
have investments and sell products and services in 
Cuba.  However, we have no information to suggest that 
these businesses have trafficked or that they have any 
intention to traffic in confiscated Cuban properties. 
 
-- Finland has no significant bilateral trade 
agreements with Cuba. 
 
--3) There are no significant government-funded 
student exchanges between Cuba and Finland and no 
Cuban-paid medical travel for Finnish nationals that 
post is aware of.  If any Cuban medical personnel work 
in Finland, they are here as a result of economic or 
family-based immigration, not/not as part of a Cuban 
or Finnish Government-sponsored program. 
 
BARRETT