SPAIN AGREES ON NEED FOR FIFTH ROUND OF WESTERN

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000905 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE, IO/UNP, NEA/MAG E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2018 TAGS: PREL UNSC PBTS MO WI SP SUBJECT: SPAIN AGREES ON NEED FOR FIFTH ROUND OF WESTERN SAHARA TALKS REF: A. STATE 88765 ¶B. MADRID 485 Classified By: DCM Arnold Chacon for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) According to MFA Deputy Director General for North Africa Manuel Gomez-Acebo, Spain agrees that it is essential to maintain the Western Sahara negotiating process and that a fifth round of talks should be held at the earliest opportunity. In response to our points that Western Sahara Envoy Van Walsum has been an appropriately neutral negotiator and that, given his understanding of the dynamics and the possible resolutions, he should be retained, Gomez-Acebo agreed in principle, but pointed out that Spain had previously warned that Van Walsum's report had the potential to either render him personally ineffective or derail the process. Furthermore, the SYG does not have any strong ties to Van Walsum since he didn't appoint him. ¶2. (C) When pressed as to whether or not Spain would actively support Van Walsum's contract renewal, Gomez-Acebo demurred and emphasized that the overall process was the priority. He said that Spain supported Van Walsum, but not at the expense of a fifth round. With regard to the importance of not allowing one party to the negotiations to veto Van Walsum's mandate or the SYG's choice of an envoy, Gomez-Acebo again stressed that Spain places primary importance on the process. If Polisario or Algeria will not attend talks facilitated by him, then alternatives must be explored. In the interest of finding a compromise, Spain believes that it might be possible to work out an arrangement for another UN representative, for example, Lynn Pascoe, to accompany Van Walsum and convince all the parties to participate in the 5th round. Aguirre