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