POINTS DELIVERED: FOREIGN LEADERS MEETING WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000495 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2014 TAGS: PREL PGOV UP SP EUN SUBJECT: POINTS DELIVERED: FOREIGN LEADERS MEETING WITH PRESIDENT KUCHMA AND OTHER UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS REF: STATE 27267 Classified By: KATHLEEN FITZPATRICK, POLITICAL COUNSELOR. REASON 1.4 (B) & (D) ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel points to Esther Monterrubio, Director General for Eastern Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Monterrubio said that Spain, as an EU member, is monitoring elections in the Ukraine very carefully. She agreed with our position that the Ukraine's accession to EU institutions would depend on whether the upcoming elections are conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner. Changes in the constitution should be discussed in open forum outside the election period, she said. In this respect, Spain welcomed President Kuchma's announcement that he would not seek a third term. ¶2. (U) Monterrubio also stated that given the March 14 general elections in Spain, there are no plans in the near or medium term for any direct meeting between senior Spanish officials and Kuchma. MANZANARES