SPAIN ON INTERNATIONAL MOBILE SATELLITE

UNCLAS MADRID 002340 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE, IO/T (LAURENCE TOBEY) AND EB/CIP/TS (DOUGLAS MAY) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC ECPS EWWT KHLS INMARSAT IMO EU SP SUBJECT: SPAIN ON INTERNATIONAL MOBILE SATELLITE ORGANIZATION (IMSO) DIRECTOR ELECTION REF: A. SECSTATE 150486 ¶B. MADRID 2162 ¶C. SECSTATE 140757 ¶1. (U) This is an action request -- see paragraph 4 ¶2. (SBU) Ref B reported that Spain, in response to Ref C request, would likely agree to support the candidacy of Steven Lett to head the IMSO in the event that the Spanish candidate for the same position was eliminated prior to Lett. Ref B predicted that Spain would ask for reciprocity (i.e., U.S. support for the Spanish candidate in the event that Lett was eliminated prior to the Spaniard) and requested guidance on how to respond. Such guidance was never received. ¶3. (SBU) On September 13, MFA forwarded to the Embassy a Note Verbale requesting such reciprocity. What follows is an informal Embassy translation of the operative part of this GOS Note Verbale: "has the honor to request that the U.S. Government support the candidacy of Mr. Esteban Pacha for the position of Director of the International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO) in the event that the U.S. candidate for the aforementioned position, Mr. Steven Lett, were eliminated prior to Mr. Pacha. In reciprocity, Spain would promise to support the candidacy of Mr. Lett if during election process, the Spanish candidate were eliminated first." ¶4. (U) Action Request: Embassy requests guidance on how to respond to the Spanish offer. If the U.S. accepts the Spanish offer, Embassy requests text to be used in the diplomatic note that would seal the deal. LLORENS