Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MADRID902
2009-09-08 05:57:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Madrid
Cable title:  

SPAIN'S ARMS CONTROL AND NON-PROLIFERATION

Tags:  AORC CDG ENRG KNNP MNUC PARM PGOV PREL UNGA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0035
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHROV RUEHSL
DE RUEHMD #0902/01 2510557
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 080557Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1195
INFO RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA PRIORITY 4117
RUCNOSC/ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUROPE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 1567
RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHMD/USDAO MADRID SP PRIORITY
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0144
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0911
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0507
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 MADRID 000902 

NOFORN
SIPDIS

FOR ISN/MNSA, ISN/RA, ISN/MTR, ISN/WMDT, ISN/CTR, IO/T,
GENEVA (CD),UNVIE (IAEA),USUN (POL),USNATO (POL),USEU
(POL),AND EUR/WE
PASS TO NSC FOR JOYCE CONNERY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2019
TAGS: AORC CDG ENRG KNNP MNUC PARM PGOV PREL UNGA
IAEA, NPT, SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN'S ARMS CONTROL AND NON-PROLIFERATION
POLICYMAKING PROCESS

REF: A. SECSTATE 83600

B. 08MADRID 780

C. MADRID 179

D. SECSTATE 52639

E. MADRID 514

F. MADRID 108

G. MADRID 340

H. MADRID 29

I. 08 MADRID 1296

J. 08 MADRID 1262

MADRID 00000902 001.2 OF 004


Classified By: CDA Arnold A. Chacon for Reasons 1.4(b) and 1.4(d)

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 MADRID 000902

NOFORN
SIPDIS

FOR ISN/MNSA, ISN/RA, ISN/MTR, ISN/WMDT, ISN/CTR, IO/T,
GENEVA (CD),UNVIE (IAEA),USUN (POL),USNATO (POL),USEU
(POL),AND EUR/WE
PASS TO NSC FOR JOYCE CONNERY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2019
TAGS: AORC CDG ENRG KNNP MNUC PARM PGOV PREL UNGA
IAEA, NPT, SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN'S ARMS CONTROL AND NON-PROLIFERATION
POLICYMAKING PROCESS

REF: A. SECSTATE 83600

B. 08MADRID 780

C. MADRID 179

D. SECSTATE 52639

E. MADRID 514

F. MADRID 108

G. MADRID 340

H. MADRID 29

I. 08 MADRID 1296

J. 08 MADRID 1262

MADRID 00000902 001.2 OF 004


Classified By: CDA Arnold A. Chacon for Reasons 1.4(b) and 1.4(d)


1. (C) SUMMARY. President Zapatero publicly has pledged that
the Obama Administration can count on the "full support" of
Spain on arms control and non-proliferation policy. Spain is
strongly committed to these goals and is active in multiple
fora on these issues. During Spain's EU Presidency in the
first half of 2010, Madrid's views on these subjects will
carry extra political significance at the 2010 Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference (RevCon).
As requested in Ref A, this cable provides an overview of
Spain's arms control and non-pro policymaking process. END
SUMMARY.

//Spanish Positions on Non-Pro and Disarmament Issues//


2. (C) Zapatero held his first formal one-on-one bilateral
meeting with President Obama on April 5, the same day the
President delivered his "Prague Speech" outlining his
Administration's commitment to non-proliferation and arms
control, including reinvigorated U.S.-Russian arms control
efforts. Following their bilateral meeting, Zapatero
publicly stated that the event marked "a new era for
relations between Spain and the United States" and

"guaranteed" Spain would support Obama's "greatly
significant" call to curb nuclear arms. Zapatero emphasized
his support by declaring, "Rather than asking ourselves what
Obama can do, we should ask ourselves how we can support
Obama so these ideas can be accomplished."


3. (C) The Zapatero Administration frames its dedication to
non-pro and disarmament within the context of its strict
adherence to international law and its commitment to civil
society, peace and human rights, according to Luis Gomez, the
MFA's Head of Disarmament. Gomez explained to POLOFF on
August 20 that Zapatero-era GOS initiatives to ban cluster
munitions (Ref B) and to support the Geneva Declaration on
Armed Violence and Development should be viewed within this
context.


4. (C) The GOS provided a detailed outline of its views and
lists of priorities in advance of the 2010 NPT RevCon in Ref

C. Carlos Torres, Counselor for Nuclear Non-Proliferation
and Disarmament in the MFA's DG for Strategic Affairs &
Terrorism, told POLOFF on September 2 that the GOS is
prepared to be assetive in negotiations to conclude the
Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT). He also indicated
that Madrid urges the U.S. Senate to sign the Comprehensive
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and wants the Conference on
Disarmament (CD) to resolve its negotiations with Pakistan.
Torres stated that Madrid is open to any dialogue with the
USG on its positions in any of these upcoming fora.


5. (C) Madrid's views will carry extra political significance
during the May, 2010 NPT RevCon. A board member of the IAEA
during 2008-2010, Spain will hold the EU Presidency during
the first half of 2010. A Plenary Meeting of the Nuclear
Suppliers Group (NSG) also is scheduled to be held in New
Zealand during the first half of 2010. A founding member of
the Proliferation Security Initiative, Spain participates in
the Container Security Initiative (CSI, in the ports of

MADRID 00000902 002.2 OF 004


Algeciras, Barcelona, and Valencia) and the Megaports
Initiative to detect radioactive cargo (at the port in
Algeciras) and is being considered for membership in the G-8
Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of
Mass Destruction (See Ref D). Spain hosted the Plenary
Meeting and a number of other events related to the Global
Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) in 2008 and
has remained active in 2009, contributing at a number of
workshops.

//Key Decision-Makers//


6. (S) The MFA has the lead role on arms control and
nonproliferation issues. Deputy FM Angel Lossada, a career
diplomat, has a background in non-proliferation and
disarmament and was in the midst of organizing the GICNT
Plenary in Madrid in June 2008 when he was named to his
current position. Embassy Madrid appreciated his non-pro
efforts and - as Deputy FM - Lossada has been the Head of
Delegation for the GOS at non-proliferation and disarmament
events. His successor as the MFA's Director General
(A/S-level) for Strategic Affairs and Terrorism, Carmen
Bujan, has been less focused on non-proliferation. Post has
taken steps (See Ref E) to engage her key deputy on these
issues, Deputy DG for Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
Gonzalo de Salazar, who wrote his Ph.D. dissertation on
non-proliferation issues. Miguel Aguirre de Carcer, whom
Luis Gomez and other MFA officials hold in high regard for
his expertise, serves as the MFA's Special Ambassador for
Disarmament, although Post has had few dealings with him in
his current capacity. Gomez specializes in chemical,
biological and small arms/conventional arms disarmament while
Carlos Torres is a nuclear expert whose views carry
significant weight within the MFA.


7. (C) Other key ministries include: the Ministry of
Industry, Tourism and Commerce, which has oversight over
Spain's civil nuclear industry, the Nuclear Security Council
(CSN) - Spain's nuclear regulatory agency; and the Ministry
of Defense's Spanish Verification Unit (UVE),which is
involved in verification of arms control commitments. The
GOS also has an inter-ministerial board that meets monthly to
review, among other thi.t(Q;{ration and disarmament
personnel are stretched thin during such meetings. Bujan,
Salazar, Gomez, and Torres regularly travel to New York,
Vienna, Geneva and elsewhere. Given that MFA personnel often
travel to these Missions, Embassy Madrid judges that it is
unlikely that those Missions have much flexibility on using
innovative negotiating tactics to reach RevCon objectives,
for example.


9. (C) The GOS already is taking steps to remedy this
personnel shortage. As of late August 2009, the MFA was
expanding its office space and considerably increasing its
non-pro and disarmament staffing in anticipation of an
increasing workload before and during Spain's EU Presidency.
Gomez told POLOFF that former Deputy DG for Non-Proliferation
and Disarmament Marco Rodriguez Cantero (the predecessor of
Salazar's predecessor),will return to work on these issues,
assisted by two more junior officers. Vicente Garrido,
Director of the Madrid-based International Affairs and
Foreign Policy Institute (INCIPE) and an excellent Post
contact, has been named Special Adviser to the MFA on
non-proliferation and disarmament issues and will report to
Salazar.


10. (C) The GOS also is shuffling and reinforcing its staff

MADRID 00000902 003.2 OF 004


at key diplomatic missions on these subject areas. In
Geneva, Amb. Javier Garrigues, the Permanent Representative
to the CD, works on both nuclear non-proliferation and arms
control issues while Amb. Luis Javier Gil Catalina, who
should be arriving soon as the new Deputy Perm Rep, and
Counselor Helena Cossano work only on arms control. At the
UN Mission, Perm Rep. Juan Antonio Yanez-Barnuevo does not
have an arms control or non-proliferation background per se,
although he served nine years (1982-91) as Spain's National
Security Advisor-equivalent. Deputy Perm Rep Roman Oyarzun
was an engaging and open-minded contact of U.S. diplomats
when he worked on non-pro issues and NPT in the mid-1990s,
including during Spain's 1995 EU Presidency. At the Spanish
Mission to the IAEA, recently-arrived DCM Santiago
Martinez-Caro (a dual-national with US citizenship) has made
a positive first impression and appears well briefed. He
joins three other diplomats who work non-pro and disarmament
issues. They report to Ambassador Jose Luis Rosello, who
represents Spain on the IAEA BOG.

//Factors that Underpin GOS Positions//


11. (C) Spain is a committed member of the EU and usually
supports EU consensus on arms control and non-pro issues.
During its EU Presidency, Madrid is unlikely to pursue any
policies that diverge from any existing EU consensus.
Perhaps the sole exception is discussed below in Para 13.

//Spanish Sensitivities And How Best to Engage the GOS//


12. (C) Spain reacts best to gestures that demonstrate that
the USG values Spain as a partner. Madrid wants the USG to
keep Spain in the loop on strategic discussions. Spanish
officials may be sensitive to the fact that the USG would not
meet Luis Echavarri, Spain's nominee as IAEA DG, in
Washington in the run-up to the July 2009 vote and that the
Spanish Ambassador to Washington also had trouble getting an
appointment to discuss Echavarri's candidacy.


13. (C) One outstanding issue in the bilateral relationship
on nuclear issues is the GOS's ongoing dissatisfaction with
revisions to Paragraphs 6 and 7 to the NSG's Guidelines for
Transfers of Enrichment & Reprocessing Equipment and
Technology. (See Refs H - J.) While Spain as of late August
would be happy if the Department of State were amenable to
the most recent draft of Paragraph 7 that is circulating,
Paragraph 6 could still remain problematic. Spain sees Para
6 as a complete non-starter if there is any mention of the
Treaty of Pelindaba, which went into effect on July 15, 2009.
Sources within the MFA say the GOS could "never" accept a
revised Paragraph 6 that mentions the Treaty, which
establishes a Nuclear Free Zone in Africa, which the Treaty
defines as including Spain's Canary Islands. Our contact
suggests it boils down to a sovereignty issue akin to Spain
asking the US to endorse a Treaty in which Japan or South
Korea claimed that Hawaii is Asian.


14. (S//NF) Post has taken a number of steps to engage the
GOS on non-proliferation and disarmament issues. Washington
TDYers in May 2009 gave a releasable, classified briefing to
the Spanish MFA (and separately to Spanish intelligence
officials) on Syria's recent proliferation efforts, which has
been instrumental in building trust and opening channels of
communication. (See Ref E).


15. (C) In response to a request by Garrido and the MFA, Post
has invited Robert Einhorn, Special Advisor for
Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, to travel to Madrid as a
guest speaker at a closed-door conference with GOS officials
on these issues. This event presens an opportunity to engage
GOS counterparts on potential areas for cooperation regarding
the NPT, the FMCT, the CTBT, the NPT RevCon and other issues.

MADRID 00000902 004.2 OF 004


CHACON