IRAQ ASSISTANCE: NO CHANGES TO DATE ON SPANISH

UNCLAS MADRID 001857 SIPDIS STATE PASS EB/ODF ROLAND DE MARCELLUS AND EB/IRAQ MARK KISSEL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN IZ PREL SP SUBJECT: IRAQ ASSISTANCE: NO CHANGES TO DATE ON SPANISH PLEDGE REF: A. SECSTATE 108776 ¶B. MADRID 1806 ¶1. We discussed the status of Spain's pledge for Iraq reconstruction with Directorate General of International Finance Technical Adviser Ines Menendez de Luarca Bellido. Menendez said that her Director General and Secretary of State for Economy have not yet been able to discuss this matter with the new Vice President and Minister of Economy Pedro Solbes. ¶2. Menendez expects this conversation to take place shortly. She confidently predicts Spain will begin the disbursement process of its 2004 multilateral pledges from the Madrid Donors' Conference, which include USD 20 million for the IRFFI and USD 5 million for the IFC Small Business Facility, shortly thereafter. The bureaucratic procedure for assistance transfer requires approximately one month. She could not offer any information on new assistance plans. ARGYROS