SECRETARY'S 5/19 MEETING WITH SPANISH FM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 057532

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2017
TAGS: OVIP RICE CONDOLEEZZA PREL PHSA SP LE IR GG
CU, KV
SUBJECT: SECRETARY'S 5/19 MEETING WITH SPANISH FM
MORATINOS


1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY: EUR A/S DANIEL FRIED, REASONS; 1.4
(B) AND (D).


2. (U) MAY 19, 2008, 3:00 P.M., SECRETARY'S OFFICE


3. (U) PARTICIPANTS:

UNITED STATES
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THE SECRETARY
EUR A/S DANIEL FRIED
PA A/S SEAN MCCORMACK
S EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT STEVE BEECROFT
EUR ELAINE SAMSON (NOTETAKER)

SPAIN
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FOREIGN MINISTER MIGUEL ANGEL MORATINOS
AMBASSADOR CARLOS WESTENDORP
CHIEF OF STAFF JAVIER SANCHO
DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER ANGEL LOSSADA
DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA JOSE PONS
DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS MANUEL CACHO
DCM JOSE PASCUAL MARCO


4. (C) SUMMARY: SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER MORATINOS MET
WITH SECRETARY RICE MAY 19 TO DISCUSS ISSUES WHERE THE
UNITED STATES AND SPAIN MIGHT BE ABLE TO COOPERATE MORE
CLOSELY, TO START A "NEW CHAPTER" IN BILATERAL RELATIONS
WITH A SECOND ZAPATERO TERM. THEY DISCUSSED CURRENT
LEBANESE DEVELOPMENTS, INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF SPAIN
DESIGNATING HIZBALLAH AS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.
MORATINOS SAID SPAIN WOULD HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT EFFECT
A DESIGNATION MIGHT HAVE ON SPANISH TROOPS IN UNIFIL.
MORATINOS AGREED WITH THE SECRETARY THAT HIZBALLAH HAD GONE
TOO FAR, ADDING THAT IT MIGHT SUFFER REAL FALL-OUT FROM ITS
EXTREME ACTIONS. MORATINOS SAID THE UNITED STATES COULD
COUNT ON SPAIN IN ITS EFFORTS WITH THE ISRAELIS AND
PALESTINIANS, SAYING THEY TRUSTED HIM AND HE KNEW THE
PALESTINIANS WOULD "MAKE THE DEAL." ON CUBA, MORATINOS
SAID THE UNITED STATES AND SPAIN MUST TRUST EACH OTHER THAT
ALTHOUGH OUR POLICIES DIFFERED, THEY WERE NOT MEANT TO
OPPOSE THE OTHER. HE ASSERTED THAT SPAIN'S HUMAN RIGHTS
DIALOGUE WITH CUBA HAD RESULTED IN THE RELEASE OF POLITICAL
PRISONERS AND THAT SPAIN CONTINUED TO SUPPORT DISSIDENTS.
MORATINOS THANKED THE USG FOR ITS ASSISTANCE AFTER THE
ATTACK BY PIRATES ON A SPANISH FISHING VESSEL OFF SOMALIA.
HE DELIVERED A NON-PAPER DETAILING SPAIN?S EFFORTS ON
PIRACY AND RELAYED SPAIN'S STRONG SUPPORT OF A U.S. ANTI-
PIRACY RESOLUTION IN THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL. THEY ALSO
DISCUSSED SERBIA AND KOSOVO, GEORGIA-ABKHAZIA, AND SPAIN'S
CANDIDACY FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL. END SUMMARY.

LEBANON
--------------


5. (C) FM MORATINOS TOLD THE SECRETARY THAT HE HAD
RECEIVED A GOOD REPORT ON THE ARAB LEAGUE TALKS IN DOHA ON
THE SITUATION IN LEBANON. THE SECRETARY SAID SHE WAS
ENCOURAGED BY THE SERIOUSNESS WITH WHICH THE PARTIES SEEMED
TO BE TAKING THE TALKS AND THE FACT THAT THEY WERE NOT
TALKING PUBLICLY TRYING TO SEEK ADVANTAGE BY EXERTING
PUBLIC PRESSURE. THE GOAL FOR LEBANON WAS TO KEEP BUILDING
AN ARMY AND ELECT A PRESIDENT. THE SECRETARY ASKED WHY
SPAIN WOULD NOT DESIGNATE HIZBALLAH A TERRORIST
ORGANIZATION NOW. IT WAS TIME TO SEND A STRONG SIGNAL TO
SYRIA AND IRAN THAT SUPPORT OF HIZBALLAH AND MEDDLING IN
LEBANON HAD GONE TOO FAR. THE SECRETARY STRESSED THAT IRAN
AND SYRIA WERE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE INDECISION AND
DISORGANIZATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO STRIKE IN
LEBANON. MORATINOS SAID HE WAS CONCERNED IF SPAIN
DESIGNATED HIZBALLAH, IT MIGHT START A WAR IN LEBANON. HE
CITED SPAIN'S 1,100 TROOPS IN UNIFIL AND NOTED SPAIN HAD TO

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SUBJECT: SECRETARY'S 5/19 MEETING WITH SPANISH FM
MORATIN
THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT A DESIGNATION COULD HAVE ON ITS
TROOPS. MORATINOS AGREED THAT HIZBALLAH HAD GONE FAR
OVERBOARD THIS TIME, AND SPECULATED THAT THOSE ACTIONS
COULD REBOUND ON HIZBALLAH. CLOSING THE AIRPORT AND
MAINTAINING A PRIVATE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK WERE
COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE, AND MORATINOS BLAMED IRAN FOR
SUPPORTING HIZBALLAH'S ACTIONS. THE SECRETARY NOTED THAT
WE DID NOT HAVE MANY TOOLS TO USE IN DEALING WITH IRAN.
MORATINOS ASKED IF THE SANCTION PACKAGE ON IRAN IN THE UN
SECURITY COUNCIL WAS THE SAME AS PREVIOUSLY PROPOSED. THE
SECRETARY CONFIRMED IT WAS THE SAME AND SAID THE TIMING FOR
SUBMITTING IT FOR A VOTE WAS NOT YET DECIDED. SHE TOLD
MORATINOS THAT FRIENDLY COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST WERE
VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IRAN. MORATINOS SAID THAT SPAIN WOULD
LOOK SERIOUSLY AT DESIGNATING HIZBALLAH.

ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATIONS
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6. (C) THE SECRETARY NOTED THAT PRESIDENT BUSH, DURING HIS
RECENT TRIP TO THE MIDDLE EAST, HAD SPENT EXTENSIVE TIME
WITH ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY LEADERS ENCOURAGING
PROGRESS TOWARD AN AGREEMENT. THE SECRETARY SAID THAT
ALTHOUGH AN AGREEMENT WAS NOT YET AT HAND, IT WAS CLOSER.
THE ISRAELIS REALLY WANTED AN AGREEMENT, BUT THE PROBLEM
MIGHT BE ON THE PALESTINIAN SIDE, WHERE ABU MAZEN HAD SOME
HARD DECISIONS TO MAKE, ESPECIALLY ON THE REFUGEE ISSUE.


7. (C) MORATINOS TOLD THE SECRETARY THAT THE U.S. COULD
COUNT ON SPAIN IN ITS EFFORTS, AND NOTED HIS RELATIONS OF
TRUST WITH ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS. HE ASSURED THE
SECRETARY THAT HE KNEW FROM HIS CLOSE CONTACTS WITH THE
PARTIES THAT THEY WERE MAKING PROGRESS ON ALL MATTERS. HE
SAID HE COULD NOT GO INTO DETAILS, BUT PALESTINIANS "WILL
MAKE THE DEAL." MORATINOS ASSESSED THAT WHEN IT WAS CLEAR
THERE WOULD BE AN AGREEMENT, ABU MAZEN WOULD HAVE TO TAKE
IT AND PRESENT IT TO THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE FOR APPROVAL IN
A REFERENDUM. HE CONCLUDED THAT ABU MAZEN DID NOT WANT TO
BE SEEN AS AN OBSTRUCTIONIST LIKE ARAFAT. SPAIN WAS
WILLING TO TELL THE PALESTINIANS THAT THEY COULD NOT DELAY,
AND MORATINOS SAID HE FELT VERY POSITIVE THAT NEGOTIATIONS
WOULD PROCEED.


8. (C) THE SECRETARY NOTED THAT THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
WAS FACING BUDGET SHORTFALLS AGAIN, AND EXPRESSED
FRUSTRATION THAT THE SAUDIS HAD PLEDGED OVER $700 MILLION,
BUT DISBURSED ONLY $64 MILLION SO FAR. MORATINOS POINTED
OUT THAT SPAIN DISBURSED $20 MILLION IN JANUARY AND WOULD
DISBURSE ANOTHER $15 MILLION SOON. MORATINOS REPORTED THAT
KING JUAN CARLOS WAS TRAVELING TO UAE, KUWAIT, AND SAUDI
ARABIA THE LAST WEEK OF MAY, AND THE KING "HAD A WAY OF
TALKING TO" KING ABDULLAH THAT HE FELT WOULD CONVINCE
SAUDIA ARABIA TO RELEASE ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO THE PA.


CUBA
--------------


9. (SBU) MORATINOS BEGAN BY SAYING THAT HE KNEW THE UNITED
STATES WAS NOT CONVINCED BY SOME OF THE POST-FIDEL CASTRO
CHANGES IN CUBA, BUT THAT SPAIN SAW SOME POSITIVE SIGNS AND
MOVEMENT. HE SAID THE TWO COUNTRIES HAD TO TRUST EACH
OTHER ON THIS ISSUE. THE UNITED STATES NEEDS TO TRUST THAT
SPAIN DID NOT HAVE A CUBA POLICY THAT WAS DANGEROUS TO THE
INTERESTS OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE CUBAN PEOPLE, AND
U.S. POLICY ON CUBA IS NOT ANTI-SPAIN. MORATINOS SAID THAT
SPAIN'S HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE WITH CUBA HAD BORNE RESULTS.
MANY POLITICAL PRISONERS HAVE BEEN RELEASED, INCLUDING A
NUMBER WHO ARE NOW LIVING IN SPAIN, AND THE GOS UNDERSTOOD
THAT TWO OR THREE MORE CUBAN POLITICAL PRISONERS WOULD BE
ALLOWED TO GO TO SPAIN SOON FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT. SPAIN
BELIEVED THAT THROUGH DIALOGUE AND ENGAGEMENT CHANGES IN
CUBA WOULD COME MORE QUICKLY. MORATINOS NOTED THAT SPAIN
WAS MEETING WITH DISSIDENTS IN CUBA AND SUPPORTING THEM.
THE SECRETARY RESPONDED THAT THE UNITED STATES DID NOT
DISMISS THE CHANGES IN CUBA, BUT THEY WERE SMALL CHANGES.
WE NEEDED TO PRESS THE REGIME TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE
POTENTIAL OF THESE CHANGES, AND TO MAKE THEM A REALITY FOR
ALL CUBANS IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES. FOR EXAMPLE, CUBANS

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SUBJECT: SECRETARY'S 5/19 MEETING WITH SPANISH FM
MORATIN
WERE NOW ALLOWED TO OWN CELL PHONES, BUT MOST COULD NOT
AFFORD THEM. THE GOC NEEDS TO ALLOW CUBANS TO RECEIVE
MONEY FROM RELATIVES ABROAD, SO THEY HAVE THE MONEY TO BUY
CELL PHONES. THE SECRETARY ADVISED MORATINOS THAT
PRESIDENT BUSH WOULD BE MAKING A MAJOR SPEECH ON CUBA ON
MAY 21, AND WOULD STRESS THESE POINTS.

SERBIA AND KOSOVO
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10. (C) MORATINOS REPORTED THAT SPAIN WAS WORKING WITH THE
EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS TO CONVINCE THE SERBIAN SOCIALIST PARTY
TO MOVE TO A MORE MODERATE POSITION AND TO COOPERATE WITH
PRESIDENT TADIC IN FORMING A PRO-EUROPE COALITION
GOVERNMENT. IN RETURN, THE EUROPEANS WOULD WORK TO BRING
THE SERBIAN SOCIALIST PARTY INTO THE EUROPEAN SOCIALIST
INTERNATIONAL AND BRING SERBIA INTO EUROPE. MORATINOS
REITERATED THAT SPAIN NEEDED TIME ON KOSOVO RECOGNITION,
BUT SPAIN WOULD REMAIN IN KFOR. MORATINOS RELATED THAT
KING JUAN CARLOS "GETS VERY EMOTIONAL" ON KOSOVO.
MORATINOS SAID THAT IT SEEMED UN SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-
MOON WAS MAKING PROGRESS ON FACILITATING THE TRANSITION
BETWEEN UNMIK AND EULEX. MORATINOS SAID THAT SPAIN WOULD
BACK THE UNITED STATES ON THE NEEDED STEPS IN KOSOVO. THE
SECRETARY ADDED THAT THE TONE IN THE UNSC ON KOSOVO SEEMED
TO HAVE IMPROVED RECENTLY, AND THAT THE LAST TIME SHE SAW
RUSSIAN FM LAVROV, HIS ATTITUDE HAD SEEMED MORE OPEN ON
KOSOVO.


GEORGIA-ABKHAZIA
--------------


11. (C) MORATINOS NOTED THAT A/S FRIED REMAINED CONCERNED
WITH UKRAINE'S AND GEORGIA'S RELATIONS WITH NATO. THE
SECRETARY RESPONDED THAT THIS WAS A CONCERN FOR ALL OF US.
NATO NEEDED TO MAKE A FAVORABLE DECISION ON A NATO
MEMBERSHIP ACTION PLAN (MAP) FOR BOTH COUNTRIES AT ITS
DECEMBER MINISTERIAL; IT WAS IMPORTANT TO SHOW RUSSIA THAT
ITS PRESSURE ON GEORGIA WOULD NOT BE REWARDED. AT THE SAME
TIME, THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE NEEDED TO PURSUE A
DIPLOMATIC STRATEGY TO LOWER TENSIONS AND EVEN RESOLVE THE
ABKHAZ CONFLICT. TO THIS END, SHE ADDED, THE UNITED STATES
WAS EXPLORING WITH THE GEORGIANS AND RUSSIANS CREATING SOME
KIND OF INTERNATIONAL FORUM UNDER WHICH GEORGIAN AND ABKHAZ
LEADERS COULD MEET AND TALK DIRECTLY. THE GEORGIANS AND
THE RUSSIANS DID NOT WANT A WAR OVER ABKHAZIA BUT
MISCALCULATIONS COULD SET OFF A CONFLICT. MORATINOS
REPLIED THAT SPAIN FELT ITS EXPERIENCE WITH AUTONOMY FOR
ITS VARIOUS REGIONS WOULD BE USEFUL FOR GEORGIA. HE
RECOMMENDED TO GEORGIA THAT IT TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND MAKE
AN AUTONOMY PROPOSAL FOR ABKHAZIA (WHICH GEORGIA HAS DONE).

PIRACY
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12. (SBU) FM MORATINOS DELIVERED TO THE SECRETARY A NON-
PAPER ON THE PIRACY PROBLEM IN THE WATERS OFF SOMALIA
(COPIES PASSED TO EUR, AF, IO, OES AND L). MORATINOS
THANKED THE UNITED STATES FOR THE INTELLIGENCE AND MILITARY
SUPPORT IT PROVIDED IN THE RESCUE OF SPANISH SAILORS AFTER
THE APRIL ATTACK ON A SPANISH FISHING VESSEL WITH 26 ON
BOARD. MORATINOS STRESSED CONTINUED SPANISH CONCERN WITH
PIRATE ACTIVITY OFF SOMALIA BECAUSE SPAIN HAD 30-50 VESSELS
IN THE AREA AND NO WAY TO PROTECT THEM. MORATINOS SAID
SPAIN STRONGLY SUPPORTED U.S. EFFORTS TO GET AN ANTI-PIRACY
RESOLUTION ADOPTED IN THE UNSC.

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL CANDIDACY
--------------


13. (C) MORATINOS RAISED SPAIN'S CANDIDACY FOR THE
UPCOMING ELECTION FOR A SEAT ON THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
(HRC). HE NOTED THAT WITH THE UK AND FRANCE ALSO RUNNING
FOR THE TWO AVAILABLE SEATS, THE UNITED STATES WAS IN A
DIFFICULT POSITION, BUT THAT HE WANTED TO MENTION IT. THE
SECRETARY QUIPPED THAT IT WAS NOT CERTAIN IF THE UNITED
STATES WOULD VOTE AT ALL, SINCE THE HRC WAS SUCH A
DISASTER. MORATINOS JOKED IN RETURN, "THAT'S SPAIN'S
ARGUMENT FOR RUNNING. THE HRC IS SUCH A DISASTER, SPAIN
WILL MAKE IT BETTER."
RICE