SPAIN: FOLLOW-UP ON DEMARCHE CONCERNING SPANISH

S E C R E T MADRID 001114 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR ISN/CATR, PM/RSAT, INR/SPM, EUR/AGS, AND EUR/WE E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2017 TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC IR AU SP SUBJECT: SPAIN: FOLLOW-UP ON DEMARCHE CONCERNING SPANISH AND AUSTRIAN TRANSFERS TO IRAN REF: A. SECSTATE 66551 ¶B. MADRID 977 Classified By: DCM HUGO LLORENS FOR REASONS 1.4 (A) AND (B) (S/NF) 1. Per reftel B, POLOFF made reftel A points May 18 to MFA Disarmament Affairs Deputy Director General Ignacio Sanchez and MFA Counselor for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Carlos Torres. POLOFF briefed Sanchez and Torres on the late 2006 transfer to Iran by a Spanish company of a Wassenaar-controlled military troop carrier, as well as possible Iranian attempts to procure glass fiber matting from a Spanish firm. Sanchez said that he did not recall any MFA contact with URO Vehiculos Especiales SA, the Spanish firm that reportedly supplied the troop carrier to Iran. He indicated that he would distribute our nonpaper to Spain's inter-agency export control working group and that Madrid would investigate our information and respond. (S/NF) 2. Sanchez contacted POLOFF on June 4 to say that he heard back from the Spanish Trade Department on the USG request for information. Sanchez said that the Trade Department had not authorized any export licenses for Wassenaar-controlled military troop carriers since 2002. Sanchez said that the Spanish company Kynos was licensed in 2003 to export 22 vehicles intended to transport "heavy land material," but that transaction never took place. In terms of possible Iranian attempts to procure glass fiber matting from a Spanish firm, Sanchez said that his government understood that discussions took place between Iran and Comargo Composites, but that this contact did not result in any business transaction. Sanchez reiterated his government's strong support for nonproliferation efforts related to Iran and noted the importance of effective and consistent implementation of UNSCR 1747 by all nations. Sanchez agreed with Poloff's reminding that now is not the time for business as usual with Iran, and vowed to continue Spain's strong efforts in this regard. AGUIRRE