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