SPAIN MAKING EFFORTS TO ATTEND, PRESENT AT GICNT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 000304

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/WE'S ELAINE SAMSON AND STACIE ZERDECKI
FOR ISN/WMDT'S THOMAS LOWE, MIA TER HAAR, AND BRYAN SCHILLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2019
TAGS: MNUC PARM PREL KGIC MCAP PINS PINR PTER SP
KS, RS
SUBJECT: SPAIN MAKING EFFORTS TO ATTEND, PRESENT AT GICNT
EVENTS IN SEOUL

REF: A. SECSTATE 22354

B. SECSTATE 21325

C. SECSTATE 18574

Classified By: ADCM William H. Duncan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY. In conjunction with the Korean and Russian
Embassies, Post on March 12 jointly delivered REFTELS A and B
demarches to Carlos Torres, Counselor for Nuclear
Non-Proliferation and Disarmament in the MFA,s DG for
Strategic Affairs & Terrorism. Torres responded that the
Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT)
workshop in Seoul on April 14-15 and the Exercise Planning
Group (EPG) meeting on April 16 were "worthwhile" events and
"a good idea." However, he also added frankly that - because
of existing commitments by MFA non-proliferation personnel, a
tight budget due to Spain's impending stint at the helm of
the EU's rotating Presidency during the first half of 2010,
and the relatively little advance notice of the invitation -
"it won't be easy" for Spain to attend. Torres has requested
written invitations by the Korean, Russian and US.
governments to help sway MFA senior leadership on the
importance of Spain's presence in Seoul. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) POLOFF delivered the REFTEL A and B demarches in
coordination with DCM Hangu Oh of the Embassy of the Republic
of Korea, departing Political Counselor Alexey V. Dementiev
of the Embassy of the Russian Federation and his recently
arrived successor, Dimitri Sokolov. (Note: After four or
five years in Madrid, Dementiev - whom Post found to be very
engaging and accommodating, but not suspiciously or
disingenuously so - is returning to Moscow at the end of
March to work in the MFA's Office of European Affairs to
serve as director for issues related to Spain, Portugal and
Andorra. End note.)


3. (C) Dementiev asked if Carmen Bujan, the MFA DG for
Strategic Affairs and Terrorism, would be able to represent
the GOS at the EPG. Torres said that the GOS has a lot to
offer at the GICNT EPG: a mix of institutional, political
and technical expertise that the GOS has gained from its
experience in hosting and presenting at GICNT events in 2008.
Nevertheless, he stated that he could not guarantee a
presence at Bujan's level.


4. (C) Mr. Oh asked for the favor of a response "as soon as
possible" and noted that Spanish Foreign Minister Moratinos
would be traveling to the Republic of Korea on March 23.
Torres said he was previously unaware of the Minister's
travel to the Republic of Korea, but described the trip as
"important" in trying to build the political case for GOS
participation at the GICNT events in Seoul. Torres also took
advantage of the joint demarche to make a pitch for closer
Spanish-Korean cooperation on nuclear issues. He highlighted
an official business trip he had taken to Pusan in late 2008,
but suggested that Madrid and Seoul do not interact as
closely or as often as they should. He encouraged the Korean
diplomat to be in more frequent contact.


5. (C) Torres has commented to POLOFF that the back-to-back
GICNT events in Seoul during April 14-16 and in Garmisch,
Germany during April 20-22 were a bit problematic for the
GOS. Torres says that the GOS has a lot to offer in sharing
its experiences and lessons learned with other GI partners,
but he told Embassy officials on March 24 that he believes
the GOS is somewhat fatigued on the issue, after Madrid
exerted quite an effort to host so many events in 2008.
Following the joint demarche, Torres has suggested that the
Directorate General for Strategic Affairs and Terrorism could
build a stronger case for Spanish participation in Seoul if
the joint U.S.-Korean-Russian demarche were followed by a
formal, written invitation at the Deputy Foreign Minister
level. Immediately following the demarche, Torres drafted
brief, sample language that the Korean Foreign Minister or
Ambassador could use in writing to Lossada. Torres on March
12 shared a copy with Post for comment before he forwarded it
on to the Korean Embassy in Madrid. Post is providing that
language in Paragraph 6. Torres also has suggested that a
similar written invitation to Lossada by the U.S. Department
of State - perhaps in coordination with the Russian MFA -
would help maintain the momentum in GOS non-proliferation
efforts and would help sway MFA officials to look favorably
upon the invitation for GOS officials to be present in Seoul.



MADRID 00000304 002 OF 002



6. (U) Begin sample text:

Bearing in mind the experience of your Ministry of Foreign
Affairs in the political, institutional and technical arenas
within the context of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear
Terrorism, and its recent contributions to the Exercise
Planning Group in Washington in November 2008, my Government
would be appreciative if Spain were to attend the upcoming
meetings of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism
in Seoul during April 14-16 and deliver a presentation on the
Spanish experience at the Exercise Planning Group meeting on
April 16.

End sample text.
CHACON