C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002872

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2016
TAGS: PREL ELTN RS MD UP SP
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO SPAIN ON CHISINAU-MOSCOW
RAIL LINK

REF: STATE 181103

Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

(C) Emboff delivered reftel demarche to Iago Gil Aguado,
Spanish Desk Officer for Russia and Eastern Europe, on
November 8. Gil Aguado was unaware of the matter but agreed
that rerouting the train to Tiraspol posed several difficult
questions. Gil Aguado agreed that Moldova is unable to
control its own rail lines or guarantee their safety if new
service begins to Tiraspol. He noted that Spain does not
carry enough influence in Eastern Europe to intervene
directly in matters such as these, but he added that Spain's
OSCE presidency in 2007 would give it an opportunity to weigh
in on matters in Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine. He offered
that the Spanish are concerned by Russia's recent moves in
exerting control over the gas markets in Belarus, Moldova and
Georgia.

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AGUIRRE