Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08MADRID971
2008-09-05 17:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Madrid
Cable title:  

SPANISH VIEWS ON SEPTEMBER GYMNICH

Tags:  PGOV PREL SP USEU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6478
PP RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHMD #0971 2491706
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 051706Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5307
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA 3567
C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000971 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL SP USEU
SUBJECT: SPANISH VIEWS ON SEPTEMBER GYMNICH

REF: STATE 93264

Classified By: DCM Arnold Chacon for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000971

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL SP USEU
SUBJECT: SPANISH VIEWS ON SEPTEMBER GYMNICH

REF: STATE 93264

Classified By: DCM Arnold Chacon for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel to Spanish MFA Deputy
Political Director Ricardo Lopez Aranda on September 2.
Lopez stated that due to the nature of the GYMNICH -- i.e.,
an informal discussion amongst foreign ministers aimed at
promoting creative solutions in the development of EU policy
-- no agenda could be confirmed with certainty. He did,
however, share the following GOS views.

//MEPP//


2. (C) Lopez said that Spain's views coincided with the U.S.
desire to support negotiation to the extent possible without
jeopardizing the integrity of the process. He said that the
Quartet principals would be key to any agreement reached.

//EU SECURITY//


3. (C) Lopez agreed that the United States and Spain shared
many of the same security threats and challenges. He
predicted that the negotiations on an EU Security strategy
would likely start with the existing plan. The EU would not
start from scratch on this issue, he said, but rather
supplement the existing plan with additional policies on
climate change, energy strategy and illegal immigration.

//TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS//


4. (C) According to Lopez, maintaining strong transatlantic
relations is not only important to Spain, but to the EU as
well. He added that strengthening transatlantic relations
would be an important theme in Spain's 2010 EU Presidency.
Aguirre