SPAIN ON GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT NUCLEAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000391 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT PASS TO EUR/WE AND ISN/WMDT (TIM KATSAPIS) E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/2017 TAGS: PTER MCAP PINR PINS PARM PREL KNNP SP SUBJECT: SPAIN ON GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT NUCLEAR TERRORISM REF: SECSTATE 21535 Classified By: DCM HUGO LLORENS PER 1.4 (B/D) ¶1. (U) This is an action request for ISN/WMDT -- see paragraph 3. ¶2. (C) ESTHOFF passed reftel points February 26 to MFA Disarmament Affairs Deputy Director General Ignacio Sanchez, urging Spain to endorse the Global Initiative's Statement of Principles and to participate in the third meeting of the Initiative in Kazakhstan this summer. Sanchez told ESTHOFF March 2 that our request was eventually passed to Deputy Foreign Minister Bernadino Leon for consideration. Leon has decided that Spain would join the Global Initiative if Madrid were also invited to join the Initiative's reduced membership Advisory and Assessment Group (AIG). Sanchez asked that we informally consider Spain's request and provide feedback before Spain makes public its views. ¶3. (U) ACTION REQUEST FOR ISN/WMDT: Please forward to Madrid ESTHOFF Ken Forder (via classified EMail) our views on the Spanish request. AGUIRRE