SPAIN PLEASED WITH USG REVIEW OF IRAN TUBES

S E C R E T MADRID 000340 SIPDIS FOR EUR/WE, INR, AND ISN/MTR E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2024 TAGS: MTCRE PARM PERL ETTC MNUC TSPA SP IR SUBJECT: SPAIN PLEASED WITH USG REVIEW OF IRAN TUBES REF: A. SECSTATE 26316 ¶B. MADRID 108 Classified By: ADCM William H. Duncan for reasons 1.4 (b),(d) and (h) ¶1. (S) On March 25, POLOFF and Deputy ECON Counselor delivered REFTEL A response to Carlos Torres, Counselor for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament in the MFA,s Directorate General for Strategic Affairs & Terrorism, in response to the GOS request to the Embassy in REFTEL B. Torres was quite pleased that the USG review of G4879 (Cr28%Ni48%W5%) alloy tubes under consideration for export by Spanish officials had found no known nuclear or ballistic missile applications. He remarked that the USG findings corroborated what the German government had told Madrid. NOTE: Torres had not previously mentioned to Embassy officers that the Germans had provided a formal assessment on whether these tubes had dual-use applications. END NOTE. ¶2. (S) In related news, Torres informed Embassy officers that the MFA recently had secured the deputy chairman or number-two slot of the inter-ministerial board mentioned in REFTEL B that reviews export license requests for possible dual-use technology items. Torres specified that the Deputy Foreign Minister will hold this post on a permanent rather than a rotating basis. COMMENT: Recalling that the MFA was reportedly one of the more forward-leaning ministries in calling for the review of questionable exports, such as the G4879 tubes, the Embassy received this news as an encouraging development. Angel Lossada, who has a background in non-proliferation issues, has been Deputy Foreign Minister since May 2008. END COMMENT. ¶3. (U) Post appreciates Washington's timely research of this issue. CHACON