SPANISH RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON JULY 12-13 EU FMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002618

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/08/2014
TAGS: PREL SP EUN
SUBJECT: SPANISH RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON JULY 12-13 EU FMS
MEETING

REF: STATE 147536

Classified By: Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Political Counselor, for Reasons 1
.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Spain sees the EU-ASEM summit in danger over
the insistence of Asian nations to include Burma as a full
member. The GOS supports the opening of an EC office in
Baghdad and stresses the importance of holding at least one
of the two planned elections in Afghanistan this Fall. On
the Venezuela recall referendum, Spain says that the EU has
not been invited to observe and will not fund an OAS mission,
but that Spain is willing to provide funding for OAS
observers. End summary.


2. (C) We delivered reftel demarche on July 9 to Enrique
Mora, Director of the MFA's Office of EU Foreign Policy and
Common Security. We reiterated our opposition to the EU's
lifting of its arms embargo on China, stressing our deep
concern about regional security issues and again pointing to
China's problematic human rights record. We also noted
information on the types of weaponry that have been provided
by EU countries to China even with the embargo in place.
Mora had no new comment on this issue.


3. (C) Regarding relations with Asia, Mora stated that the
upcoming EU-ASEM summit was indeed in danger of being
cancelled. He said that two minor EU-ASEM meetings (Economic
and Finance-related, he believed) had already been suspended
because of ASEM's insistence on full membership for Burma.
Mora said that the EU had proposed allowing Burma to attend
at a status less than that of a member state, but that the
Asian countries had rejected the offer and continue to
threaten to deny membership for the 10 new EU nations if
Burma is not admitted.


4. (C) On Iraq, Mora stated that Spain favors the opening of
an EC office in Baghdad and that they continue to be
interested in training Iraqi police. He did mention, though,
that they envision this training to occur in Spain (possibly
at their police academy in Avila),rather than in Iraq.


5. (C) On the subject of Venezuela, Mora said that the EU had
not been invited to send an observer team. He also stated
that though the EU would not be providing funding for an OAS
observer mission, Spain is willing to provide funding.


6. (C) Regarding Afghanistan, he said that there was little
chance of creating an OSCE election observation mission until
the security situation improves. On the subject of the
elections, he emphasized that Spain understands if the Karzai
government needs to push back the presidential elections to
2005, but that the parliamentary elections need to be held
this September or October. Mora said that Spain feels that
having both elections postponed would send an unacceptable
message and strengthen the Taliban's position.
MANZANARES