SPAIN: DELIVERABLES FOR THE US-EU INTERNATIONAL

UNCLAS MADRID 002133 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID EIND ECON SP SUBJECT: SPAIN: DELIVERABLES FOR THE US-EU INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON IRAQ REF: SECSTATE 103222 ¶1. Summary: Charge delivered reftel talking points to MFA Political Director Rafael Dezcallar. Dezcallar said Foreign Minister Moratinos would attend the conference and that this meeting would be high profile for Spain. Dezcallar said the Spanish government cannot guarantee that its USD 20 million donation to the UNDP for Iraq elections will be disbursed before the US-EU Iraq conference, but stressed Spain remains committed to meeting its Madrid Conference pledge. End Summary. ¶2. Dezcallar told Charge the MFA cannot guarantee that Spain's USD 20 million dollar donation to the UNDP fund for Iraqi elections will be deposited by the June 22 Conference, as involved agencies continue to work out modalities to deposit the funds. The MFA, the Spanish Agency for International Development and the Ministry of Commerce are working to plan the spending of Spain's remaining USD 140 million pledge from the Madrid Donor's Conference. Dezcallar stressed that Spain is not backtracking, and that Spain remains committed to meeting its Madrid pledge. However he said an additional pledge of aid for Iraq is not likely to be forthcoming, but hoped the U.S. would view Spain's already substantial pledge as significant. He said Spain had disbursed a fair amount already (Note: Spain has disbursed USD 117 million to date.),and had additionally contributed ten percent of the EU pledge. MANZANARES