SPAIN ON KOSOVO: TRAPPED IN ITS OWN RHETORIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000150

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/WE, ALSO FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2019
TAGS: AORC PREL ICJ KV SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN ON KOSOVO: TRAPPED IN ITS OWN RHETORIC

REF: STATE 11928

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Arnold A. Chacon, Reasons 1.4(b),(d).


1. (C) The Charge d'Affaires met February 12 with Spanish MFA
DG for non-EU Europe and North America Luis Felipe Fernandez
de la Pena. Fernandez de la Pena (who served as Ambassador
to Croatia and Slovenia) explained at length Spain's position
on Kosovo. As the Spanish always do, he stressed that the
position is "principled," based on respect for international
law and concern over the precedent a unilateral declaration
of independence set. He claimed the Georgian FM had told
them the Kosovo example encouraged Russia last summer and
added it was contributing to unrest in Vojvodina now. He
said Spain's position was also one of "constructive dissent"
and laid great emphasis on the fact that Spain was playing a
positive role by trying to keep Serbia on the right path:
focused on integration with Europe. He noted Spain was also
helping with countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina and
Croatia. He said Bosnia and Herzegovina was seeking Spanish
mentoring for its EU bid. He also underscored Spain's
continued participation in KFOR. He said Spain's actions in
filing an ICJ brief in support of Serbia and opposing efforts
to assist Kosovo in the IMF were consistent with Spain's
well-known position and implied they did little real harm to
U.S. efforts to support Kosovo. He also suggested that Spain
had to support Serbia's ICJ petition or risk undermining its
own position on Gibraltar. Despite all this, Fernandez de la
Pena stressed repeatedly that Spain did not want Kosovo to
become a stumbling block on the way to better relations with
the U.S.


2. (C) Drawing on reftel, the CDA rebutted the substance of
Fernandez de la Pena's arguments regarding Kosovo and then
urged that Spain focus on two key points: U.S. support for
Kosovo's independence was not going to change, and Spain's
insistence on taking so-called consistent positions in every
forum and at every opportunity was indeed interfering with
efforts to focus on the positive possibilities inherent in
the U.S.-Spain bilateral relationship. Fernandez de la Pena
argued that the U.S. did not see the bigger picture of what
Spain was doing to promote stability in the region. He urged
that we keep the channels of communication open on this issue
and offered a Spanish briefing for Administration officials
in Washington. In this regard he said the meeting FM
Moratinos had requested with the Secretary would be helpful.


3. (C) Comment: Fernandez de la Pena had nothing to say the
U.S. has not heard before. What was new was the note of
concern about the collateral damage being done to the
relationship. Spain's problem now is that it has gone so far
out on the limb of opposition to Kosovo's independence that
it will find it difficult to climb down. Moreover, it may be
that Spain, despite all assurances to the contrary, is
clinging to the hope that the new U.S. Administration will,
if not change the direction of U.S. policy on Kosovo, at
least view Spain's position in a more charitable light. If
the Secretary meets with Moratinos, that would be an
important opportunity to let Spain know that while we do not
expect them to publicly recant anytime soon, we would
appreciate it if they would more carefully weigh the costs of
reflexively opposing every effort to consolidate
international support for Kosovo. A year after the
declaration of independence, this is not a burning issue for
the Spanish public, so the argument that they have act
consistently in fora such as the ICJ or IMF rings hollow to
us. It might also be useful if Spain heard from other
European countries which have recognized Kosovo.
CHACON