Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07MADRID2063
2007-11-02 15:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Madrid
Cable title:
DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION DISCUSSES PKK TERRORISM,
how-toVZCZCXRO6653 RR RUEHAG RUEHROV DE RUEHMD #2063 3061516 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 021516Z NOV 07 FM AMEMBASSY MADRID TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3739 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0399 RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0177 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0894 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 2440 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002063
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/WE, ALSO FOR EUR/SE - DGARBE AND S/CT - ZROTHSCHILD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2017
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV KTFN TU IZ EUN SP
SUBJECT: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION DISCUSSES PKK TERRORISM,
KOSOVO, AND BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH SPANISH MFA DG FOR
FOREIGN POLICY
REF: STATE 148531
Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION HUGO LLORENS, REASONS 1.4B AND D
.
C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002063
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/WE, ALSO FOR EUR/SE - DGARBE AND S/CT - ZROTHSCHILD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2017
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV KTFN TU IZ EUN SP
SUBJECT: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION DISCUSSES PKK TERRORISM,
KOSOVO, AND BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH SPANISH MFA DG FOR
FOREIGN POLICY
REF: STATE 148531
Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION HUGO LLORENS, REASONS 1.4B AND D
.
1. (C) PKK: DCM met October 31 with MFA Director General for
Foreign Policy Rafael Dezcallar and delivered reftel points.
Dezcallar said Spain shared U.S. concerns regarding the PKK
and understood the delicacy of the situation between Turkey
and Iraq. He emphasized that Spain wanted to be helpful and
was very active in general on the counter-terrorism front,
noting the verdicts in the March 11, 2004, Madrid train
bombing case were being handed down that very day (septel).
2. (C) Kosovo: The DCM mentioned the importance of a strong
united U.S. and EU position on Kosovo and said Spain had an
opportunity to provide leadership on a difficult issue.
Dezcallar replied that during FM Moratinos' October 29
meeting with the Secretary there had been substantial
agreement on Kosovo. He mentioned that he had been in Serbia
the week of October 22 and had emphasized to his
interlocutors that Spain supported the Troika process and
would do all it could to avoid a EU split on Kosovo. He said
Spain wanted to see Europe "united for action, not paralysis."
3. (C) Foreign Policy and Upcoming Elections: Dezcallar
noted that the election season was beginning in Spain and
lamented that the quality of the public discourse on foreign
policy left much to be desired. Describing himself as
apolitical, Dezcallar said the Zapatero administration was
unfairly criticized for mishandling relations with the U.S.
In fact, Spain and the U.S. worked extremely well together on
a wide range of important issues including counter-terrorism
and law enforcement. He mentioned the MEPP was another area
where Spain wanted to do all it could to be supportive of
U.S. efforts. Raising Afghanistan, Dezcallar said the
Spanish Government had worked hard and successfully to build
a public consensus in support of Spain's deployments.
Whereas the public had once regarded Afghanistan as a
"distant" problem, they now registered higher support for the
international effort there than the citizens of many other
European countries. In sum, he said Spain valued its
relationship with the U.S. and wanted to expand areas of
cooperation internationally.
AGUIRRE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/WE, ALSO FOR EUR/SE - DGARBE AND S/CT - ZROTHSCHILD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2017
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV KTFN TU IZ EUN SP
SUBJECT: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION DISCUSSES PKK TERRORISM,
KOSOVO, AND BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH SPANISH MFA DG FOR
FOREIGN POLICY
REF: STATE 148531
Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION HUGO LLORENS, REASONS 1.4B AND D
.
1. (C) PKK: DCM met October 31 with MFA Director General for
Foreign Policy Rafael Dezcallar and delivered reftel points.
Dezcallar said Spain shared U.S. concerns regarding the PKK
and understood the delicacy of the situation between Turkey
and Iraq. He emphasized that Spain wanted to be helpful and
was very active in general on the counter-terrorism front,
noting the verdicts in the March 11, 2004, Madrid train
bombing case were being handed down that very day (septel).
2. (C) Kosovo: The DCM mentioned the importance of a strong
united U.S. and EU position on Kosovo and said Spain had an
opportunity to provide leadership on a difficult issue.
Dezcallar replied that during FM Moratinos' October 29
meeting with the Secretary there had been substantial
agreement on Kosovo. He mentioned that he had been in Serbia
the week of October 22 and had emphasized to his
interlocutors that Spain supported the Troika process and
would do all it could to avoid a EU split on Kosovo. He said
Spain wanted to see Europe "united for action, not paralysis."
3. (C) Foreign Policy and Upcoming Elections: Dezcallar
noted that the election season was beginning in Spain and
lamented that the quality of the public discourse on foreign
policy left much to be desired. Describing himself as
apolitical, Dezcallar said the Zapatero administration was
unfairly criticized for mishandling relations with the U.S.
In fact, Spain and the U.S. worked extremely well together on
a wide range of important issues including counter-terrorism
and law enforcement. He mentioned the MEPP was another area
where Spain wanted to do all it could to be supportive of
U.S. efforts. Raising Afghanistan, Dezcallar said the
Spanish Government had worked hard and successfully to build
a public consensus in support of Spain's deployments.
Whereas the public had once regarded Afghanistan as a
"distant" problem, they now registered higher support for the
international effort there than the citizens of many other
European countries. In sum, he said Spain valued its
relationship with the U.S. and wanted to expand areas of
cooperation internationally.
AGUIRRE