In his letter of transmittal and accompanying report outlining the changes in U.S.-Cuba foreign policy, Richard Lugar states that Carl Meacham took a trip to Cuba to evaluate the U.S.'s policy toward Cuba. Meacham met with a variety of officials and wrote the report, and Lugar's letter introduces it by saying that the U.S.'s policy of using economic sanctions is a legitimate foreign policy tool. The letter admits that the 47-year unilateral embargo on Cuba has not achieved its purpose of "bringing democracy to the Cuban people," and Meacham's report offers recommendations on how U.S. interests in Cuba can be addressed better.
Meacham's report discusses the various areas in which the U.S.'s relationship with Cuba is important. It starts by reviewing some important points about Cuba that are relevant to the U.S. and its decisions about Cuba, such as the fact that Cuba has an institutionalized regime and still needs structural reform. The report does note, though, that Cuba appears to be open to two-way discussion on possible reforms. The report concludes with several recommendations on what should be done. It points out that there are only three avenues in which regular official communication between the U.S. and Cuba takes place, and better progress could be achieved by getting together at regular intervals instead of only when certain conditions arise. Calling this approach "sequenced engagement," the report explains that doing it this way would allow the U.S. stop engaging with Cuba if it found out at any point that U.S. interests were no longer being served. The report also recommends resuming talks on drug interdiction and migration, as well as developing a good energy strategy. It recommends the easing of agricultural trade restrictions and conducting a review of medical trade restrictions. The report emphasizes that U.S.-Cuba relations should be multilateral instead of unilateral. The appendix include<...