VZCZCXRO7921
PP RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHMD #0568 0871456
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 281456Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2168
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 2412
RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE PRIORITY 0018
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0159
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 0625
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA PRIORITY 2573
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0331

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000568 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
EUR/WE FOR GARY CLEMENTS AND ANGELA CERVETTI 
EUR/ERA FOR PETER CHASE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2017 
TAGS: EUN KPAL PREL XG IS IR ZI SP
SUBJECT: SPANISH FM WILL ONLY ATTEND SECOND HALF OF GYMNICH 
 
REF: STATE 37792 
 
Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (SBU) Poloff spoke with MFA Deputy Director General for 
Foreign Policy Carlos Fernandez-Arias on March 28 to discuss 
Spain's views in advance of the Gymnich.  Fernandez-Arias 
said that Foreign Minister Moratinos would miss the first two 
sessions on the Balkans and the European Neighborhood Policy, 
as he is still traveling in Latin America with the King. 
That said, Fernandez-Arias predicted that the discussion on 
Kosovo would deal mainly with crafting a positive European 
approach to the Ahtisaari proposal and its implementation as 
an upcoming UNSC resolution, as well as with managing 
Russia's concerns.  The European Neighborhood discussion 
would likely be very informal and focused on how the 
relationships will take shape between Europe and neighbors 
who will never join the EU - in North Africa, the Middle East 
and Eastern Europe.  Topics would include what it means to be 
a neighbor to the EU and the difference between the EU 
neighborhood and EU expansion. 
 
¶2. (C)  On Iran, Fernandez-Arias said that there would be 
little room for strategic discussion given the ongoing crisis 
with the captured British sailors and marines.  He expected 
that the Gymnich might make some sort of firmly worded 
statement of solidarity with the UK.  He said that he spoke 
with British diplomats in Spain on March 27 and found that 
they were incensed.  He thought that the timing of the 
capture was not a coincidence and was clearly an effort by 
Iran to stall for time.  That said, he felt confident that 
they would be released unharmed. 
 
¶3. (C)  On the MEPP, Fernandez-Arias stuck to EU talking 
points - support Abbas, work with Fatah ministers (Finance 
and Foreign Affairs), provide an impulse to the process, and 
judge the NUG on its actions.  However, he added that he 
could not really predict what FM Moratinos would say at the 
Gymnich, both because Moratinos is traveling and because he 
has taken a more personal and hands-on approach to the MEPP 
without always consulting with the Directorate General. 
 
¶4. (C)  Fernandez-Arias did not think there would be much 
discussion of Zimbabwe or the DRC, but he speculated that the 
Belgians might bring up the DRC.  He noted that the incident 
with Iran appeared to have pushed Zimbabwe off the front 
burner for the UK; he suspected that the EU would address 
both the DRC and Zimbabwe in April. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
Visit Embassy Madrid's Classified Website; 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/madrid/ 
------------------------------------------ 
Aguirre