SPAIN ON HAMAS-FATAH AGREEMENT ON NATIONAL UNITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000225

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/08/2017
TAGS: KISL KPAL KWBG PREL SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN ON HAMAS-FATAH AGREEMENT ON NATIONAL UNITY
GOVERNMENT

REF: STATE 16453

CLASSIFIED BY: DCM HUGO LLORENS; REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) POLOFFS RELAYED REFTEL POINTS TO MFA SUBDIRECTOR
GENERAL FOR THE MIDDLE EAST ALBERTO MORENO AND TO MFA
SUBDIRECTOR GENERAL FOR FOREIGN POLICY CARLOS FERNANDEZ ARIAS
(IN THE OFFICE OF DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR FOREIGN POLICY RAFAEL
DEZCALLAR) ON THE USG'S DESIRE TO COORDINATE ON A RESPONSE
PRIOR TO THE FEBRUARY 12 GAERC. FERNANDEZ ARIAS SAID THAT IT
WAS LIKELY TOO LATE TO ORGANIZE FORMAL ACTION ON THIS ISSUE
AT THE GAERC (ALSO REPORTED SEPTEL). HOWEVER, MORENO SAID
THAT THE UK, FRENCH, GERMAN, ITALIAN, AND SPANISH FOREIGN
MINISTRIES HAD DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE EARLY ON FEBRUARY 9 AND
AGREED TO RESPOND POSITIVELY TO THE REPORTS OF A HAMAS-FATAH
AGREEMENT ON THE FORMATION OF A NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT.
MORENO SAID HE HAD PREPARED TALKING POINTS FOR FM MORATINOS
TO RESPOND ON AN "IF ASKED" BASIS, BUT SAID HE WAS NOT
CERTAIN WHETHER THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT OR THE EU WOULD ISSUE
AN OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE ON THIS MATTER.


2. (C) MORENO EMPHASIZED THAT A POSITIVE REACTION TO THE
REPORTS ON THE PART OF EU GOVERNMENTS DID NOT IMPLY THAT
SPAIN OR ANY OTHER EU MEMBER WAS PREPARED YET TO MEET WITH
PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. HE ALLOWED THAT THE
SPANISH PUBLIC RESPONSE COULD BE "SLIGHTLY MORE POSITIVE"
THAN THAT OF OTHER EU MEMBERS, BUT THAT IT WOULD FALL WITHIN
THE PARAMETERS COORDINATED WITH FRANCE, THE UK, GERMANY, AND
ITALY. MORENO SAID THE KEY POINTS OF PUBLIC SPANISH
STATEMENTS ON THIS ISSUE WOULD BE AS FOLLOWS:

-- SPAIN WELCOMES THE REPORT THAT PALESTINIAN REPRESENTATIVES
HAVE REACHED AGREEMENT ON THE FORMATION OF A NEW GOVERNMENT;

-- SPAIN HOPES THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL GENERATE A NEW POSITIVE
DYNAMIC IN THE REGION;

-- SPAIN IS CONFIDENT THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL SOON ALLOW
THE EU AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO SIT DOWN WITH
REPRESENTATIVES OF A NEW PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT.


AGUIRRE