SPANISH VIEWS IN ADVANCE OF JUNE 18 GAERC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 001198

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2017
TAGS: PREL EUN SP
SUBJECT: SPANISH VIEWS IN ADVANCE OF JUNE 18 GAERC

REF: STATE 80034

MADRID 00001198 001.2 OF 002


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


1. (C) SUMMARY: Spanish Deputy Political Director Carlos
Fernandez-Arias said he expected that Cuba would view with
skepticism Spain's inability to change the EU Common Position
and eliminate the restrictive measures, but the Cubans might
still welcome the chance to open dialogue with the EU. Spain
continues to insist on the need for a UNSCR in Kosovo and is
wary of a unilateral Kosovar independence declaration. The
fluidity of the situation in the Middle East means the
GAERC's discussion could go anywhere, but Fernandez-Arias
said that now is not a time for boilerplate declarations.
The meeting between Javier Solana and Ali Larijani on Iranian
nuclear programs produced no result other than an Iranian
commitment to keep meeting. New French Foreign Minister
Kouchner was expected to propose new language on Darfur. END
SUMMARY.

//CUBA//


2. (C) Poloff met with MFA Deputy Political Director Carlos
Fernandez-Arias on June 14 to discuss Spain's views on the
June 18 GAERC. Fernandez-Arias said that there would be no
open discussion on Cuba at the GAERC, though Foreign Minister
Moratinos or the Czech Foreign Minister might bring it up.
Fernandez-Arias said that there had been lots of different
opinions in the review of the Common Position, and the
compromise solution had been to "move in a different
direction" from the debate over the Common Position and
Restrictive Measures. He said the document the GAERC would
approve would not change the Common Position and would not
lift Restrictive Measures, but it would note that the
situation in Cuba has changed. It would note, however, that
the change had not altered the state of freedom on the
island. In addition to the standard language on Cubans
controlling their own destiny, freedom of political prisoners
and increased internet access and press freedom, the document
will state the EU's commitment to remain engaged with the
Cuban opposition and civil society. In addition, the
document will propose opening a political, economic and human
rights dialogue between the EU and Cuba, and it invites an
unspecified Cuban delegation to visit Brussels for
discussions. Poloff asked how the Cubans would receive this,
and Fernandez-Arias said they would not like it. He was
unsure how it would impact the Spanish-Cuban human rights
dialogue, but he suspected that the Cubans would continue to
go along.

//BALKANS//


3. (C) Spain continues to see the EU as not really having
unity over Kosovo although almost all nations are prepared to
go along with the Ahtisaari Plan in the interest of internal
consensus. Fernandez-Arias said that Spain continues to
believe that a UNSC resolution is necessary, even if it takes
a little longer than the U.S. and others want. He thought,
however, that there would be minimal discussion of Kosovo at
the GAERC.


4. (C) On Serbia, Fernandez-Arias pointed with satisfaction
to the resumption of EU association talks and said that this
effort had been well-received by Serbians. The apprehension
of Mladic's deputy was also a promising sign. Spain will
continue to support engagement and progress with the Serbians.

//MEPP//


5. (C) Fernandez-Arias said that the situation is too fluid
in the Middle East to really plan any conclusions for the
GAERC, but that Ambassadors would likely meet Monday morning
to work on a statement. He said that now is not the time for
generic statements of support and encouragement, and that
what is needed is the imposition of some order in the
situation. In Lebanon, he said Spain was very concerned by
the recent actions of "the usual suspects."

//IRAN//


6. (C) Javier Solana will provide a readout at the GAERC of
his May 31 meeting with Ali Larijani in Madrid.
Fernandez-Arias said that the meetings had been unproductive,
but that the Iranians remained willing to continue meeting.
To Fernandez-Arias, the Iranians are buying time to find a
way to placate the IAEA and get some of the non-permanent
UNSC members such as South Africa to slow down the UNSC.
Spain remains committed to the "double track" of strong
action at the UN combined with continued EU engagement
through Solana.


MADRID 00001198 002.2 OF 002


//SUDAN//


7. (C) Fernandez-Arias said Spain is pleased that Sudan
appears to have reacted well to the threat of sanctions by
consenting to the hybrid mission. He said the challenge for
the EU now was to find a way to get aid to the Africans. He
expected that French Foreign Minister Kouchner would present
a new broad document on Sudan.

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