SPAIN GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF LONDON CONFERENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000077 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR JARRETT BLANC, S/SRAP TOM GRAMAGLIA AND CAROLYN COBERLY, SCA/A AARON COPE, EUR/RPM E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2020 TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON EFIN MARR MOPS NATO AF SUBJECT: SPAIN GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF LONDON CONFERENCE REF: A. SECSTATE 6355 ¶B. SECSTATE 4108 Classified By: DCM Arnold A. Chacon, for reasons 1.4(B) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Post conveyed talking points in reftels to key Spanish contacts in the Defense and Foreign Affairs ministries and at the USAID-equivalent Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID). Subdirector General for Security Affairs Manuel Acerete confirmed that Special Ambassador for Afghanistan and Pakistan Rafael Mendivil and Foreign Minister Moratinos will represent Spain at the January 28 conference in London. Acerete took on board USG priorities on security, economic development and governance, and international coordination in Afghanistan and undertook to share them with S/RAP-equivalent Mendivil. ¶2. (SBU) Asked whether Spain expected to make any announcements at the London Conference, AECID's head of the Department of Cooperation with Asia and Eastern Europe, Cristobal Valdes, said it was "possible, even probable," but that there were no concrete plans for an announcement as of January 22. ¶3. (C) A UK Embassy officer approached pol-mil officer January 21 in order to coordinate a joint demarche to the GOS on the Japan/UK-proposed reintegration trust fund, pending receipt of USG instructions. The British will meet January 26 with Mendivil and plan to ask Spain to pledge a specific amount toward the estimated $300-500 million required to sustain the program over several years. SOLOMONT