SPAIN AND UNSC IRAQ RESOLUTION: PROMISE OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002163 SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/UNP AND EUR/WE E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2014 TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ SP UNSC SUBJECT: SPAIN AND UNSC IRAQ RESOLUTION: PROMISE OF POSITIVE VOTE Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission J. Robert Manzanares, reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Ambassador and DCM met June 8 with Spanish Foreign Minister Moratinos to press him not only for a yes vote on the UNSCR on Iraq, but a strong, positive explanation of the vote that also included clear support for the Iraqi Interim Government (IIG). As he had said publicly to the press, Moratinos reaffirmed that Spain will vote in favor of the resolution. When pressed on the explanation of vote, Moratinos said the statement would be positive. He said he has been in close contact with his UN representatives in New York and they have clear instructions to be open and constructive. ¶2. (C) Moratinos also noted that some less-than-positive comments regarding the resolution from Zapatero and others in Madrid,s leadership were politically driven. Though they had said that the resolution did not quite fulfill all of their requirements, in the end, said Moratinos, the vote would be positive. Moratinos also said Spain wants to continue working closely with the U.S. and will continue to provide economic and political support to the IIG. The IIG can count on the full support of the government of Spain, he added. "You can count on the Spanish," averred Moratinos. ¶3. (C) When DCM later discussed this issue with Zapatero,s national security advisor, Carles Casajuana, Casajuana said Spain would vote in favor of the resolution. However, he was somewhat less categorical that the explanation of the vote would be completely positive; he said Spain wanted to mention its humanitarian law concerns and its desire for a 3-month Multinational Force reporting schedule to the Security Council. DCM pressed for an unequivocally positive statement. ARGYROS