C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000568

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EUR/WE FOR GARY CLEMENTS AND ANGELA CERVETTI
EUR/ERA FOR PETER CHASE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2017
TAGS: EUN KPAL PREL XG IS IR ZI SP
SUBJECT: SPANISH FM WILL ONLY ATTEND SECOND HALF OF GYMNICH

REF: STATE 37792

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


1. (SBU) Poloff spoke with MFA Deputy Director General for
Foreign Policy Carlos Fernandez-Arias on March 28 to discuss
Spain's views in advance of the Gymnich. Fernandez-Arias
said that Foreign Minister Moratinos would miss the first two
sessions on the Balkans and the European Neighborhood Policy,
as he is still traveling in Latin America with the King.
That said, Fernandez-Arias predicted that the discussion on
Kosovo would deal mainly with crafting a positive European
approach to the Ahtisaari proposal and its implementation as
an upcoming UNSC resolution, as well as with managing
Russia's concerns. The European Neighborhood discussion
would likely be very informal and focused on how the
relationships will take shape between Europe and neighbors
who will never join the EU - in North Africa, the Middle East
and Eastern Europe. Topics would include what it means to be
a neighbor to the EU and the difference between the EU
neighborhood and EU expansion.


2. (C) On Iran, Fernandez-Arias said that there would be
little room for strategic discussion given the ongoing crisis
with the captured British sailors and marines. He expected
that the Gymnich might make some sort of firmly worded
statement of solidarity with the UK. He said that he spoke
with British diplomats in Spain on March 27 and found that
they were incensed. He thought that the timing of the
capture was not a coincidence and was clearly an effort by
Iran to stall for time. That said, he felt confident that
they would be released unharmed.


3. (C) On the MEPP, Fernandez-Arias stuck to EU talking
points - support Abbas, work with Fatah ministers (Finance
and Foreign Affairs), provide an impulse to the process, and
judge the NUG on its actions. However, he added that he
could not really predict what FM Moratinos would say at the
Gymnich, both because Moratinos is traveling and because he
has taken a more personal and hands-on approach to the MEPP
without always consulting with the Directorate General.


4. (C) Fernandez-Arias did not think there would be much
discussion of Zimbabwe or the DRC, but he speculated that the
Belgians might bring up the DRC. He noted that the incident
with Iran appeared to have pushed Zimbabwe off the front
burner for the UK; he suspected that the EU would address
both the DRC and Zimbabwe in April.

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Aguirre