SPANISH MFA ON GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT NUCLEAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000125

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/RPM, ALSO FOR ISN/WMDT, L/PM, NEA/IR, AND ISN/RA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2020
TAGS: PARM PREL IR SP
SUBJECT: SPANISH MFA ON GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT NUCLEAR
TERRORISM, CCW PROTOCOL III, AND IRAN

REF: A. 09 MADRID 1018

B. 09 MADRID 1138

C. BERLIN 135

D. MADRID 119

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Arnold A. Chacon, Reasons 1.4(b)
,(d).


1. (C) Spanish MFA Sub-DG for Non-proliferation and Arms
Control Gonzalo de Salazar requested a meeting with Polcouns
February 2 to discuss the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear
Terrorism (GICNT),the USG deposit of instruments of
ratification of Protocol III (incendiary weapons) of the
Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW),and Iran
sanctions. On the GICNT, de Salazar said Spain and some
other EU member states were concerned that moving to a
rotating presidency, which he understood to the be plan,
might entail a loss of U.S. leadership, which he described as
very important, a loss of momentum for the GICNT. He said
Spain looked forward to discussing at the next plenary in
June how to maintain leadership and momentum in the
initiative.


2. (C) Regarding the CCW, de Salazar referred to the U.S.
reservations to Protocol III. He said Spain and several
other EU countries -- he named Austria, France, Germany,
Ireland, Poland, the Netherlands, and the UK -- saw the U.S.
reservations as incompatible with the protocol. He said that
for legal reasons, Spain and others would formally object to
the U.S. reservations. He said this would happen in the next
few days. He stressed that Spain's action was driven by
legal reasons and was not meant to be an unfriendly gesture.


3. (C) De Salazar noted efforts towards a new UNSCR on Iran,
and said Spain hoped the Russians and Chinese could be
brought along, as Spain's first preference was for a strong
UNSCR. Failing that, de Salazar said European experts would
be meeting at the end of February or beginning of March to
discuss additional sanctions in an effort to define an EU
position with a view towards EU-U.S. consultations on the
same subject in April. He underscored Spain's desire to work
closely with the U.S. on this issue.
SOLOMONT