SPAIN: DEMARCHE ON SUSTAINING PRESSURE ON SYRIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 001683

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT PASS TO EUR/WE, NEA/ELA, NEA/IPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2015
TAGS: PGOV KPAO LE SY SP PRLE
SUBJECT: SPAIN: DEMARCHE ON SUSTAINING PRESSURE ON SYRIA

REF: STATE 78006

Classified By: Classified by Embassy Madrid PolCounselor Kathy Fitzpatr
ick for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)

1.(C) Spanish MFA Deputy Director General for the Middle East
(DAS-equivalent) Alberto Moreno told PolCouns April 28, as
part of his response to reftel demarche, that Spain likely
would send election monitors as part of an EU group to
observe the May 29-June 12 Parliamentary elections in
Lebanon. He noted the Spanish Foreign Ministry's April 27
statement on Lebanon (text below),which expresses
satisfaction for the withdrawal of Syrian troops and
intelligence personnel, and which looks forward to formal
confirmation of Syrian withdrawal by the UN's technical
verification commission.

2.(C) When pressed on USG's desire for the EU again to
consider designating Hizbollah as a terrorist organization,
Moreno restated his government's belief that an unarmed
Hizbollah had to be incorporated into the political process
in Lebanon, and that designating it as a terrorist
organization would be counter-productive to that end. He
averred that, while Hizbollah had been involved in financing
and other related activities, the group had not been directly
implicated in any terrorist attack for the past 10 years.
PolCouns reiterated USG's concern about Hizbollah's continued
armed presence in Lebanon, noting that Hizbollah remained a
terrorist organization whose designation by the EU would
greatly assist the development of Lebanon's capability to
ensure it's security.

3.(C) Informal Embassy translation of Spanish MFA's April 27
statement:

"The Government of Spain accepts with satisfaction the
withdrawal of all Syrian troops and intelligence services
personnel from Lebanon, which must be formally confirmed by
the United Nations Technical Verification Commission. In
this connection, the aforementioned commission will travel to
the region in the coming days.

The Government of Spain seeks to emphasize that the Syrian
decision to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, as demanded by
Resolution 1559 of the Security Council, represents a
significant advance in the compliance with international
legality by that country."

end informal Embassy translation.

4.(SBU) Moreno mentioned that MFA Director General for the
Middle East (A/S equivalent) Alvaro Iranzo Gutierrez would be
interested in visiting Washington in late Spring/early Summer
to meet with appropriate NEA counterparts.
MANZANARES