SPAIN SUPPORTS AU EFFORTS IN MADAGASCAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000380 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E (MARIA BEYZEROV) E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2019 TAGS: PGOV SP SZ NO MA AROC EAID SUBJECT: SPAIN SUPPORTS AU EFFORTS IN MADAGASCAR REF: STATE 35809 Classified By: ADCM William H. Duncan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche to Deputy Director General for Subsaharan Africa Guillermo Lopez Mac-Lellan April 14. Mac-Lellan said that the GOS completely agrees that elections in Madagascar should occur as soon as practicable and supports the African Union's (AU) efforts and statements on the coup. Mac-Lellan's office has requested specific numbers regarding aid to Madagascar from the Spanish Development Agency (AECID); he estimates the amount of aid, targeting the fishing sector, to be "extremely minor." Spain has no formal financial alliance with Madagascar, he explained, but because Spanish fleets in the Indian Ocean use the country as an operational base, continued assistance (albeit minor) may continue. Mac-Lellan added that the USG position on suspending assistance is well-noted and confirmed France's insistance in continuing pre-coup assistance programs. Spain will send a delegate from Pretoria to attend the April 16 dialogue, and Mac-Lellan committed to passing the information to colleagues in both Pretoria and Brussels. CHACON