OPERATION BALKAN VICE IV: SPAIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002484 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE AND S/WCI TREASURY FOR OFAC E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/30/2014 TAGS: PREL MOPS EFIN ETTC KAWC SP ICTY SUBJECT: OPERATION BALKAN VICE IV: SPAIN REF: STATE 142628 Classified By: Colin Cleary, Acting Political Counselor, for Reasons 1. 4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) We delivered reftel demarche to Alvaro Rodriguez, MFA Director for Central and Southern Europe on June 30. Rodriguez stated that he would pass along our information to his MFA colleagues in Brussels, as he believed that there would be a meeting of the EU's Western Balkan Working Group on Monday, July 5, where they would be discussing the addition of persons to the EU's travel ban list. Rodriguez mentioned that there normally were no problems in adding names that resulted from recommendations by the Office of the High Representative. Regarding the freezing of assets, he said he would forward our request in the MFA, but that asset freezing in the EU was always a more complex endeavor than banning travel. ¶2. (C) We also delivered the demarche to Gonzalo Ruiz Galvez, Technical Advisor in the Office of Inspection and Control of Capital Movement, for Spanish action regarding the freezing of assets for the named firm and individuals. ARGYROS