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 -------------- THE SECRETARY EUR A/S DANIEL FRIED PA A/S SEAN MCCORMACK S EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT STEVE BEECROFT EUR ELAINE SAMSON (NOTETAKER) SPAIN -------------- 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 STATE 00057532 002 OF 003 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 -------------- ¶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 STATE 00057532 003 OF 003 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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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