Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08MADRID94
2008-01-30 17:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Madrid
Cable title:  

SPANISH FM MORATINOS BRIEFS CODEL MARTINEZ ON

Tags:  KPWR MEPP PREL SP CU 
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VZCZCXRO5200
PP RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHMD #0094/01 0301745
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 301745Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4156
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 1279
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ PRIORITY 1306
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 1401
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA PRIORITY 0241
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 MADRID 000094 

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SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2018
TAGS: KPWR MEPP PREL SP CU
SUBJECT: SPANISH FM MORATINOS BRIEFS CODEL MARTINEZ ON
BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP

Classified By: Ambassador Eduardo Aguirre, Jr. for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 MADRID 000094

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2018
TAGS: KPWR MEPP PREL SP CU
SUBJECT: SPANISH FM MORATINOS BRIEFS CODEL MARTINEZ ON
BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP

Classified By: Ambassador Eduardo Aguirre, Jr. for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)


1. (C) SUMMARY. Spanish FM Moratinos briefed Codel Martinez
on bilateral developments during an hour-long meeting January

11. With regard to enhanced military support in Afghanistan,
Moratinos said that it would be difficult to make any
commitments in advance of the Spanish March 9 elections, but
that some decisions could be made at the next NATO Summit in
Bucharest April 2-4. Moratinos, optimistic about renewed
talks in the Middle East peace process, said that it was
essential to convince Arab states that the U.S. had a
balanced approach supportive of the Palestinians. He also
called for continued engagement with Syria, especially to
counter Iranian influence in the Middle East. He said that
the U.S. and Spain should work together to encourage a
credible opposition in Venezuela. Moratinos credited Spanish
engagement with bringing demonstrable change in Cuba, while
opining that any democratic transition would be prolonged and
difficult. He emphasized that Spain and the U.S. had the
same goals, while using different approaches to achieve their
objectives. Moratinos also briefed the CODEL members on
Spain's work to create the UN Alliance of Civilizations
initiative. END SUMMARY.

--------------
OVERVIEW OF BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP
--------------


2. (C) Spanish FM Moratinos briefed Codel Martinez on
bilateral developments during an hour long meeting January 11
at the Palacio Santa Cruz Foreign Ministry ceremonial office.
Foreign Minister Moratinos warmly welcomed the delegation,
noting that their presence was testament to the strength and
importance of the bilateral relationship.
Beginning with an overview of U.S.- Spanish relations,
Moratinos said that during the last four years he had worked
to overcome misunderstandings and misperceptions and that he
was proud of the active joint agenda underway. His one
disappointment was that a presidential-level meeting had not
taken place on the margins of some multilateral event,
saying, "for the 1st and 8th most important economies in the

world, it (a meeting) should have happened, especially given
our mutual goals and objectives." Moratinos termed Secretary
Rice's 2007 visit to Madrid a "major success". He described
trade and investment on both sides as excellent, particularly
the work of the U.S.-Spain Council, and also praised law
enforcement and military cooperation.


3. (C) Senator Martinez thanked Moratinos for his efforts
and highlighted the upcoming U.S.-Spain Council meeting in
Texas as an important opportunity to continue expanding trade
and investment, especially in the field of renewable energy.
Moratinos said that Spain sought to become a world leader in
renewable energy by emphasizing research and development,
citing the Finnish success in telecommunications as a case
study. Ambassador Westendorf said that a February 11 meeting
between the U.S. Department of Energy and its Spanish
counterpart, including a site visit to a Colorado research
facility, would be the next cooperative program. Senator
Grassley urged consideration of the benefits of
genetically-modified seed, and Moratinos said that the
Spanish Agriculture Minister had a more open approach than
other EU countries.

--------------
AFGHANISTAN
--------------


4. (C) Senator Martinez also thanked Spain for its efforts
in Afghanistan, Lebanon and other peace-keeping efforts and
urged further contributions. Moratinos reiterated comments
made previously to other USG officials, that it would be
difficult to make any commitments in advance of the Spanish
March 9 elections, but that some decisions could be made at
the next NATO Summit in Bucharest April 2-4. Since the
overthrow of the Taliban there had been tremendous progress
in Afghanistan, however, Moratinos said that President Karzai
was well-intentioned but weak and that the country was
fragile and underdeveloped. Seeing no good alternatives to
Karzai due to structural flaws, as well as pressures imposed
by warlord fiefdoms and narcotics networks, Moratinos called
for better coordinated international assistance. He said
Spain supported a single representative to coordinate all
donor programs. Noting that engagement with Pakistan became
more difficult in the wake of the Bhutto assassination, he

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said Spain would call for an international conference to
review the London compact and seek a renewed political
strategy to supplement the assistance package. Moratinos
called the Spanish PRT a success story based on civil society
development accomplishments.

--------------
MIDDLE EAST AND IRAN
--------------


5. (C) Moratinos said that, "based on my extensive
experience, the Middle East is a volatile region, but the key
players are now working towards finalizing peace." He had
just received calls from Palestinian Authority Chairman Abu
Mazen and some unidentified Israeli contacts informing him
that there was a Palestinian-Israeli deal to engage in direct
talks. Encouraged that informal talks to define the
parameters of a two-state solution would take place,
Moratinos believed that the parties would take up discussions
based on Taba and Camp David talks, then intensify the
sessions to have Saeb Erekat and key Palestinians draft a
peace treaty. Moratinos credited President Bush's personal
involvement with pushing up the timetable. According to
Moratinos, the Annapolis Conference was "fantastic; much
better than the press credited in the news coverage." Moving
forward, he said that it was essential to convince Arab
states that the U.S. has a balanced approach that is
supportive of the Palestinians.


6. (C) Asked about the prospect for presidential elections
in Lebanon, Moratinos said it was crucial to keep Syria
engaged positively. "I played an important role in
convincing the Syrians to attend at Annapolis," he said, "and
trying to get them to play a constructive role."
Characterizing the Syrian leadership as a complex mix of old
guard politicians, military authorities and President
al-Asad's coterie, Moratinos said that the international
community needed to encourage moderate forces in Syria. He
believed Secretary Rice was more skeptical about Syria, but
cautioned, "when we are faced with Iranian influence in the
region and Iraqi instability, it is essential to keep
Damascus in an international coalition, especially when
Hizballah is playing the Iran card."

--------------
LATIN AMERICA UPDATE
--------------


7. (C) With twelve "more or less" democratic elections held
last year in Latin America, Moratinos was optimistic about
Latin America, though he cautioned that the influence of
"populist" movements required individual approaches since
each nation had its own unique political personalities and
objectives. He described Ecuadorian President Correa as a
leader trying to set himself apart, while incorporating
previously dispossessed indigenous populations in the
governing framework.


8. (C) In Bolivia, Moratinos viewed President Morales as
sincere, honest and protecting the formerly marginalized
indigenous factions responsible for voting him into office.
Noting Spanish concerns over renegotiated contracts, he said
that Morales was implementing the latest agreements and
fulfilling commitments. At the same time, he acknowledged
that Morales lost credibility with his fantastic assertions
that the U.S. was planning a coup. Senator Martinez pushed
back on Moratinos' assessment and Senator Grassley also
questioned Moratinos about rule-of-law concerns in Bolivia.
Moratinos excused those concerns by focusing on Morales
majority win in the last election, saying that gave him the
legitimacy to undertake a major shift in governance.


9. (C) Venezuela was a different case, said Moratinos. He
called for Spain and the U.S. to work together on ways to
encourage a credible opposition. Since the failure of
President Chavez's most recent referendum, it was important
to foster political dialogue, especially since the
traditional political parties never reflected the interests
of most Venezuelans. Acknowledging the positive feedback
King Juan Carlos received after his sharp retort to Chavez,
Moratinos said the Venezuelan government had asked for an
apology, but "no way" would that happen.


10. (C) Describing Cuba as in a transition period,
Moratinos said Raul Castro told him that Fidel Castro was no
longer in power. While the speech by Raul Castro calling for

MADRID 00000094 003 OF 004


economic reform was a positive indicator, Moratinos said that
the January 20 elections would be an important benchmark.
His guess was that Fidel Castro would not be re-elected.
Spain will also watch with interest the Vatican Secretary of
State visit as well as Brazilian President Lula's trip to
Havana. Recognizing the U.S. was not pleased with Spanish
policy towards Cuba, Moratinos said that he tried to convince
Secretary Rice that our goals were the same and that our

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different approaches actually added up to a more effective
strategy. Moratinos opined that democratic transition in
Cuba would not take place as quickly as it did in Poland or
the Czech Republic; it would be much more prolonged and
difficult. Spain encouraged Cuba to free a large number of
political prisoners through a human rights dialogue. As a
result of Spanish engagement, Cuba announced that it would
permit Spanish NGOs to operate locally, thereby strengthening
civil society ties. In addition, the Catholic church was
working to increase the level of political debate and social
engagement towards democratic reform.


11. (C) Moratinos' assessment was that the U.S. inflexible
approach had not shown any results over the long term, but
after three or four years of Moratinos' engagement, there had
been demonstrable shifts in Cuban policy. He said that the
Spanish-U.S. alliance, working together and trusting each
other, must use all tools at its disposal, intimating that
"good cop/bad cop" teamwork might get the most results.
Questioning the U.S. continuing demarches about Spanish
engagement with Cuba, Moratinos said, "Are you going to
criticize Lula for going to Havana? I guarantee he won't see
any dissidents during his visit and yet you crucified me when
I went to Havana." Senator Martinez reminded Moratinos of a
wide variety of factors, apart from Spanish engagement, that
contributed to a shift in Cuban policy, including the
deteriorating health of Fidel Castro. Respecting Spanish
intentions, it was crucial to honor the sacrifices and
encourage the efforts of the Cuban opposition. Caving to the
demands of the Cuban government that Spanish officials not
meet with dissidents did not advance the interests of
promoting civil society and democracy. The well-being of all
Cubans should be a primary concern, especially now that there
are reports that repression in Cuba was worse than ever.
Despite cosmetic actions, Cuba needed to undertake reforms to
secure fundamental freedoms as a precursor to any future
elections. Senator Martinez expressed hope that instead of
settling for just economic reforms, like the China model that
features some cosmetic change but does not secure democracy
and individual freedom, Spain would work with us to bring
genuine political change that guaranteed basic individual
freedoms of speech and assembly for Cubans. The Cuban regime
must stop repression, release all political prisoners and
allow political space that would lead eventually to
elections.


--------------
ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS
--------------


12. (U) At the conclusion of the briefing, Moratinos made a
pitch for Spain's work organizing the Alliance of
Civilizations as an UN initiative. He said that the March
11,2004 bombing at the Madrid train station further
heightened Spain's determination to confront terrorist
threats. At the same time, Spain believed that there was an
unfair perception that Muslim/Arab countries were linked with
terrorism. Given Spain's historical ties with the Muslim
world, it decided to focus on unity of interests. Moratinos
believed that the existing UN framework based on development
and human rights committees did not provide the appropriate
venue, so the AOC is a new pillar based on broad cultural
ties to include rule-of-law, democracy, model economies,
education, media, and youth. At the AOC forum in Madrid the
week of January 14, Moratinos expected over 400 international
delegates including four prime ministers and 33 foreign
ministers.


13. (C) Moratinos regretted that he would be unable to join
CODEL Martinez for dinner with the members of the U.S.-Spain
Council at the Ambassador's residence, but he had a previous
commitment to participant in a PSOE campaign strategy session
that evening.


14. (U) Meeting participants included:

SPAIN

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FM Miguel Angel Moratinos
Spanish Ambassador to the U.S. Carlos Westendorf
Jose Maria Pons, Director General for Europe and North America
Manuel Cacho, Director General of External Communications
Victoria Ortego, Special Assistant to FM Moratinos

U.S.
Ambassador Aguirre
Senator Mel Martinez
Senator Charles Grassley
Senator John Thune
Senator Larry Craig
John Goetchius, Legislative Assistant to Senator Martinez
Poloff, Embassy Notetaker


15. (U) Senator Martinez cleared this message.

LLORENS