AMBASSADOR ALERTS PRESIDENCY THAT OPPOSITION

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002676 SIPDIS NSC FOR HADLEY AND VOLKER EUR FOR A/S FRIED EUR/WE FOR ZIMMERMAN AND HALL E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV SP SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR ALERTS PRESIDENCY THAT OPPOSITION LEADER WILL VISIT WHITE HOUSE Classified By: Ambassador Eduardo Aguirre; reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (C) Summary. The Ambassador informed Spanish National Security Adviser Carles Casajuana that opposition leader Mariano Rajoy will visit the White House as a member of a delegation of international political leaders. The Ambassador briefed Casajuana on this issue in order to avoid any misinterpretation of Rajoy's visit, given frequent Spanish media speculation as to when/if President Bush will meet with President Zapatero. Casajuana thanked the Ambassador for the advance notice and emphasized that there would be no negative response to Rajoy's visit to the White House. We believe this issue has been resolved and that any further action would lend it unnecessary importance. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Ambassador Aguirre met with Casajuana on July 18 in the Presidential Palace at Moncloa to discuss the upcoming visit to Washington of Mariano Rajoy, leader of the opposition Popular Party (PP),to participate in a meeting of the International Democratic Union (IDU). The Ambassador told Casajuana that Rajoy and the other political figures participating in the IDU event will meet with President Bush on July 19 at the White House. ¶3. (C) The Ambassador explained that he was briefing Casajuana on this meeting as a courtesy because the USG was aware of the constant focus by the Spanish media on whether President Bush would meet with President Zapatero. Given the spirit of goodwill and transparency shown by the GOS since Ambassador Aguirre's arrival in Spain, the Ambassador wanted to be certain that President Bush's meeting with Rajoy in the IDU context was not misunderstood and/or misinterpreted in Madrid. ¶4. (C) Casajuana expressed his appreciation for the advance notice and was gracious in his response. He indicated that President Zapatero would take positive note of the Ambassador's gesture and said this issue would not result in any setback to the recent improvement in bilateral relations. Casajuana asserted that one of the primary objectives of the Zapatero government was to forge a common posture with the PP on foreign policy similar to the Socialist-PP anti-terrorism pact, but had been unable to reach such an agreement thus far. He said the GOS had nevertheless instructed its embassies to support overseas visits by opposition politicians. ¶5. (C) The Ambassador noted his impression that the Spanish political environment seems particularly harsh at the moment and that he had asked PP leader Rajoy to leave the U.S. out of the Spanish political debate. The Ambassador said he asked the same of the Socialist Party. //COMMENT// ¶6. (C) We believe this issue has been dealt with successfully and that any further action would give it unnecessary importance. AGUIRRE