SPAIN TO MAINTAIN EU UNITY AT IAEA GENERAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000851 SIPDIS EUR/WE FOR ALEX MCKNIGHT, STACIE ZERDECKI ISN/RA FOR RICHARD NEPHEW, JODY DANIEL E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2019 TAGS: AORC PREL PARM KNNP IAEA EG IS SP SUBJECT: SPAIN TO MAINTAIN EU UNITY AT IAEA GENERAL CONFERENCE REF: SECSTATE 85128 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires William H. Duncan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) POLOFF on August 21 delivered Ref demarche to Carlos Torres, Counselor for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament in the MFA's DG for Strategic Affairs & Terrorism. Torres stated that Foreign Minister Moratinos will personally be overseeing the GOS's position on Middle East issues at the IAEA General Conference and that the GOS will support the EU consensus on this issue. In particular, Madrid will oppose action on the proposed Arab League resolution, "Israeli Nuclear Capabilities." Torres remarked that the GOS does not believe the IAEA General Conference is the appropriate forum for the Arab League's resolution and added that Spain does not understand why Egypt is leading the Arab League's efforts, which he described as a waste of time. Torres did not make any specific comments about the US proposal to support a single resolution on the Middle East, combining the consensus portions of the language of the two Middle East resolutions traditionally tabled at the conference. Post will report further updates as we receive them. DUNCAN