UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MADRID 002483

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL EAID SP PSOE
SUBJECT: SPAIN - BIOGRAPHIES ON MFA DIRECTORS GENERAL

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Summary
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1. (U) This cable provides biographies on
new directors general in the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and the Spanish Agency for International
Cooperation (AECI, Spain's equivalent of USAID). GOS
directors general are roughly equivalent to State
Department assistant secretaries; AECI directors
general are roughly equivalent to AID assistant
administrators. End Summary.

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Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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2. (SBU) The following are directors general in the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs:


A. Director General of Foreign Policy for Europe and
North America - JOSE MARIA PONS IRAZAZABAL (replaces
Gerardo Angel Bugallo)

Born April 1948 in Palma de Mallorca, Pons holds a
degree in law and entered the Spanish diplomatic corps
in 1974. Pons served in Poland and Switzerland. He was
executive adviser in the Cabinet of the Secretary of
State for Relations with the European Communities. He
was also director and assistant spokesperson for the
International Affairs Department of the Office of the
President. In 1995, Pons was named ambassador to the
Netherlands. In 2001, he was Spain's ambassador to
Denmark.


B. Director General of Foreign Policy for the
Mediterranean, Near East and Africa - ALVARO IRANZO
GUTIERREZ

Born August 1955 in San Sebastian, Iranzo holds a
degree in law and entered the Spanish diplomatic corps
in 1981. He served in Gabon, Mozambique and Algeria.
He moved from the number two (deputy director) to the
number one position (director) in the North African
affairs office. Later, he was Spain's ambassador
to Angola. Since 2001, Iranzo has been ambassador
to Malaysia.


C. Director General of Foreign Policy for Latin
America - FRANCISCO JAVIER SANDOMINGO NUNEZ.

Born January 1954 in A Coruna, Sandomingo has a degree
in law. He entered the Spanish diplomatic corps in

1980. He served in Costa Rica, Mexico, Thailand and Cuba.
He was deputy director of eastern European affairs and
consul general in Hong Kong. Before assuming his
current position, Sandomingo had been Spain's
ambassador to Zimbabwe

.


D. Director General of Foreign Policy for Asia and the
Pacific - JOSE EUGENIO SALARICH FERNANDEZ DE
VALDERRAMA

Born January 1955 in Madrid, Salarich holds a degree
in law and entered the Spanish diplomatic corps in

1981. He served in Cameroon, Spain's Permanent Mission to
the UN and Spain's mission to the Holy See. He was
deputy director of European political cooperation, and
EU Common Foreign and Security Policy. In 1997,
Salarich was named ambassador to Mozambique. In 2001,
he was named ambassador to Thailand.


E. Director General of Foreign Communication - CARMEN
FONTES MUNOZ.

Born February 1953 in Madrid, Fontes holds a degree in
law and entered the Spanish diplomatic corps in 1979.
Fontes served in Austria and France. She was
executive advisor in the cabinet of the minister of
foreign affairs and deputy director in the Office of
Analysis and Planning of Foreign Policy. In 1997, she
was Spain's DCM in Germany. In 2002, Fontes served as
culture and cooperation advisor in Spain's embassy in
Russia.


F. Director General of the Foreign Service - DIEGO
MUNIZ LOVELACE.

Born April 1951 in Gijon, Muniz holds a degree in law
and entered the Spanish diplomatic corps in 1977.
He served in Sweden and Denmark. He was deputy
director of immigration and participation in the
office of the director general of consular affairs,
and consul general in Antwerp. In 1996, Muniz was
Spain's DCM in Portugal. In 2001, he was Spain's DCM
in Mexico.

G. Director General of Consular Affairs and Assistance
- MIGUEL ANGEL DE FRUTOS GOMEZ.

Born September 1948 in Segovia, De Frutos Gomez holds
a degree in law and entered the Spanish diplomatic
corps in 1976. He served in Egypt, Spain's Permanent
Delegation to the OECD, Turkey, and Portugal. He was
deputy director general of cultural promotion for the
Institute of Latin American Cooperation at Spain's
Agency for International Cooperation, and deputy
director general of cultural promotion at the
Institute of International Cooperation. In 1998, De
Frutos Gomez was deputy director general of juridical
affairs. Since 2002, he has been deputy director
general of foreign affairs.

H. Director of International Economic Relations -
EMILIO FERNANDEZ-CASTANO Y DIAZ-CONEJA

Born January 1950 in Santander, Fernandez-Castano
holds a degree in law and entered the Spanish
diplomatic corps in 1980. He has served in Poland and
in Spain's mission to the European Communities (EC).
He was deputy director of EC Coordination and
Institutional Relations, chief of staff for the
secretary of state for the EC, and secretary of state

SIPDIS
for the European Union. In 1997, Fernandez-Castano
was named ambassador to Australia. In 2001, he was
named ambassador to Algeria.


I. Director General of Cultural and Scientific
Relations - ALFONS MARTINELL SEMPERE

Born in 1948, Martinell holds a doctoral degree in the
science of education from the University of Girona, a
degree in philosophy and letters from the Autonomous
University of Barcelona, and a master's degree in
primary education from the University of Barcelona.
Martinell has held several positions in the city
council of Girona as a specialist in education and
culture. He was director of studies director at the
Euro-American Campus of Cultural Cooperation of
Barcelona, Cartagena de Indias and Sevilla. Martinell
also directed cultural management seminars in Mexico
and Chile. Before his recent appointment, Martinell
was the director of the UNESCO professorship at the
University of Girona, tenured professor at the
University of Girona, president of the INTERARTS
foundation of Barcelona, and coordinator of the
IBERFORMAT Network of Training Centers for cultural
management in Latin America.


J. ARTURO LACLAUSTRA BELTRAN - Director General of
International Affairs for Terrorism, the United
Nations, and Multilateral Organizations
Born 1948 in Barcelona, LaClaustra holds a degree in
law and entered the Spanish diplomatic corps in 1974.
He has been posted in Canada, Morocco, and Spain's
Permanent Mission to the UN. He was chief of protocol
for President Felipe Gonzalez, deputy director for
Western European Affairs, chief of cabinet for the
Government's Minister-spokesperson, deputy director
general for North America and deputy chief of mission
in Spain's Permanent Mission before the UN. In 1999,
LaClaustra was named deputy director general for
foreign affairs. Before assuming his current
position, LaClaustra was DCM in Lisbon.

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Spanish Agency for International Cooperation
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3. (SBU) The following are directors general in
Spain's Agency for International Cooperation (AECI):


A. Director General of Cooperation with Latin America
- AURORA DAZ-RATO REVUELTA.

Born February 1957 in Madrid, Diaz-Rato holds a degree
in law. She entered the Spanish diplomatic corps in

1983. She served in Costa Rica and Ireland. She was
assistant spokesperson in the cabinet of the minister
of foreign affairs, deputy director general of Western
Europe, and assistant deputy director general in the
office of the ecretary general for European affairs.
Since 2002, she has been assistant spokesperson in the
office of the director general for the coordination of
general and technical affairs with the European Union.


B. Director General of Cooperation with Africa, Asia
and Eastern Europe - RICARDO MARTINEZ VAZQUEZ.

Born June 1958 in Seville, Martinez holds a degree in
law. He entered the Spanish diplomatic corps in 1987.
He served in Spain's Permanent Mission to the United
Nations and International Organization in Geneva and
Panama. He was technical advisor to the diplomatic
information bureau and deputy director general of
cooperation with Eastern Europe and Asia at AECI.
Since 2002, Martinez has served as deputy director
general of cooperation with Mediterranean countries
and Eastern Europe at AECI.

ARGYROS