VISIT TO SPAIN OF SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 001171 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2017 TAGS: PREL SY SP SUBJECT: VISIT TO SPAIN OF SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER REF: MADRID DAILY REPORT 6/8/07 Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens; reason 1.4 (B) ¶1. (C) Syrian Foreign Minister Walid-al-Mu'allim visited Madrid June 7 for a meeting with FM Miguel Angel Moratinos. An MFA press release issued prior to the meeting indicated the discussions would focus on the Arab League peace initiative, efforts to reduce tensions in Lebanon, and international and regional efforts to achieve stability in Iraq. Poloff contacted MFA Subdirector General for the Middle East Alberto Ucelay on June 8 to obtain a readout of the Mu'allim-Moratinos meeting. Ucelay said that he had attended most of the meeting, apart from a private one-on-one discussion between Moratinos and Mu'allim, and that Mu'allim had appeared relaxed and "less dogmatic and more realistic" than most Syrian officials in Ucelay's opinion. Specifically, Ucelay said that Mu'allim seemed to understand Syria's place in the current Middle East dynamic, as well as the problems Syria faced in ending its international isolation. ¶2. (C) Ucelay said that the substance of the meeting centered on the Middle East peace process, particularly on the Arab League initiative. Moratinos urged Syria's engagement in that initiative to the greatest possible extent, as well as in broader efforts to achieve peace in the region. Mu'allim reportedly expressed frustration with the lack of progress in the peace process, but grudgingly agreed to Syria's participation "at some level" (Ucelay took this to mean that it would be lower than Mu'allim's level, which Spain viewed as unfortunate). On Iraq, Moratinos urged Syria to play a helpful role in improving conditions there, for example through improved border security. Mu'allim highlighted the problems created for Syria by the arrival of "1.5 million Iraqi refugees now on Syrian soil" as a result of the conflict. //INFORMAL TRANSLATION OF MFA PRESS RELEASE ON SPANISH-SYRIAN DISCUSSIONS// ¶3. (U) BEGIN TEXT: THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND COOPERATION WILL RECEIVE SYRIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS WALID-AL-MU'ALLIM TODAY June 7, 2007 The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mr. Miguel Angel Moratinos, will receive his Syrian counterpart, Mr. Walid-al-Mu'allim, today. During the meeting, (they) will review the state of bilateral relations and will also discuss questions related to the international efforts to resolve the multiple conflicts that are laying waste to the Middle East region, which gravely affect international peace and security. Specifically, the discussions will center on the Middle East Peace Process and the reinitiation of the Arab peace initiative, on the reduction of tensions with Lebanon and on international and regional efforts to stabilize Iraq. END TEXT. AGUIRRE