BMENA: SPAIN AND FUND FOR THE FUTURE

UNCLAS MADRID 003747 SIPDIS PLEASE PASS NEA/FO KING MALLORY AND EB/ERA LOUIS BONO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EFIN PGOV PHUM PREL EINV SP SUBJECT: BMENA: SPAIN AND FUND FOR THE FUTURE REF: A) STATE 189774 According to Ramon Guzman Zapater, Director General for International Finance at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, EU governments will consider contributing to the Fund for the Future through the European Fund for the Mediterranean (FEMIP),administered by the EIB. He thought a contribution through FEMIP would be viewed positively (by the Spanish,) since the objectives of the Fund for the Future coincide with those of FEMIP, but that a contribution would depend on majority support by member states. Spain's contribution to the Fund would have to come through the EIB; it will not contribute to the Fund bilaterally. (If the EIB decided against participating in the Fund for the Future we could revisit this with the Spanish.) MANZANARES