President Diaz-Canel Could Have A Provacative Schedule If He Attends UN General Assembly

There is consensus among senior-level executives of United States-based companies who conduct transactions with and/or provide services to and within the Republic of Cuba that His Excellency Miguel Diaz-Canel, President of the Republic of Cuba, will attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City which commences on 18 September 2018 to deliver remarks on behalf of the Republic of Cuba, which joined the United Nations in October 1945 as one of the original fifty-one (51) founding members.  

As this will be the first United Nations General Assembly since his inauguration on 19 April 2018, important that the Republic of Cuba be represented by its new Head of State rather than Minister of Foreign Affairs. 

A visit to New York City will also permit President Diaz-Canel to meet (and be seen and photographed) with heads of state and/or heads of government of countries of commercial, economic and political importance to the Republic of Cuba (and to the United States). 

A focus would include: Members of the European Union (EU)- France (President Emmanuel Macron), Germany (Chancellor Angela Merkel), Spain (Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez) and United Kingdom (Prime Minister Theresa May); and Argentina (President Mauricio Macri), Brazil (President Michel Temer), Canada (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau), China (President Xi Jinping), Colombia (President Ivan Duque), Iran (President Hassan Rouhani), North Korea (Chairman Kim Jong-un), Russia (President Vladimir Putin), Turkey (President Recip Tayyip Erdogan) and Venezuela (President Nicolas Maduro). 

While generally risk-adverse, some senior-level executives believe given statements by The Honorable Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, of his willingness to meet with those with whom he agrees and to meet with those with whom he has disagreements, an opportunity, while uncertain, of a brief discussion between or a handshake by President Diaz-Canel with President Trump should not be dismissed and perhaps be privately requested, perhaps, if required, through a third-party. 

There is no consensus by senior-level executives with respect to their meeting privately or attending a group meeting with President Diaz-Canel at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Cuba to the United Nations located on Lexington Avenue in New York City. 

Senior-level executives of sector/category trade organizations are generally positive, often enthusiastic as to opportunities for dialogue with heads-of-state and heads-of-government 

The often-cited reason for not proactively requesting a meeting or not desirous of receiving an invitation to a meeting is concern of scrutiny from the Trump Administration; this is particularly valid with providers of financial services who are subject to scrutiny from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury. 

There are senior-level executives of United States-based companies who remain welcoming of an opportunity to meet with President Diaz-Canel.  The companies tend to be travel-related: airlines, cruise lines, and hotel management, particularly those with a presence in the State of Florida.   

Those companies engaged in the export of agricultural commodities and food products to the Republic of Cuba are circumspect about meeting at this time with President Diaz-Canel given the sensitivity of a desired Republic of Cuba-related provision in the “Farm Bill” under consideration by the United States Congress with a vote expected by the end of September 2018.

LINK To Analysis