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FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5384
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 0276
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DAMASCUS 000666 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/FO AND NEA/ELA 
NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/MCDERMOTT 
PARIS FOR WALLER 
LONDON FOR TSOU 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2018 
TAGS: PROG PREF PREL SY
SUBJECT: SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER "GETS TOUGH" WITH SARG 
 
REF: MADRID 988 
 
Classified By: CDA Maura Connelly for reasons 1.5 band d. 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  The September 17 visit to Damascus of 
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos, portrayed by the 
Spanish Embassy as an opportunity for Spain to "get tough" 
with the SARG, lasted less then a day.  Moratinos held short 
meetings with President Asad and Foreign Minister Muallem and 
principally discussed the possible visit of Spanish PM 
Zapatero.  Additionally, Moratinos conveyed to the SARG 
Israel's willingness to continue indirect peace talks, 
Spanish support for whatever approach the French take with 
respect to an Association Agreement, Spain's desire for the 
SARG to press Iran on the acceptance of oversight by the 
international community of Iran's nuclear program and Spain's 
pleasure with the progress of the normalization of Syrian and 
Lebanese relations.  For its part, the SARG registered its 
displeasure with the elevated position of Israel in the 
proposed Union for the Mediterranean and suggested that the 
international community adopt a less accusatory tone in 
dealing with Iran.  The Spanish hinted that this visit, was 
in part, an effort to mend fences after the apparent hostile 
reaction of the SARG in the wake of the June 22 open-letter 
signed by Moratinos and two other EU foreign ministers which 
detailed the steps the SARG would need to take in order to 
bring itself back into the international fold.  Finally, the 
Spanish reported the EU had no common effort or position on 
Syria, despite noted similarities in the messages conveyed to 
the SARG by French President Sarkozy during his early 
September visit and this recent visit of Moratinos.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) Spanish DCM Javier Colomina told PolOff that the 
Spanish FM's September 21 visit lasted just under twenty 
hours, during which Moratinos met separately with President 
Asad and FM Muallem.  According to Colomina, the visit with 
Asad lasted roughly thirty minutes and the meeting with 
Muallem just over an hour and was followed by a joint press 
conference.  Moratinos reported to Spanish Embassy staff that 
both Muallem and Asad were "feeling strong," particularly in 
the wake of the recent visit of French President Sarkozy. 
Colomina reported that Moratinos has an excellent 
professional and personal relationship with Muallem and the 
Spanish Embassy assessed that Muallem had been able to 
consolidate his position within the regime principally due to 
apparent foreign policy successes in recent months.  Colomina 
explained that the purpose of minister's visit was to 
illustrate that Spain has and will continue to be a friend to 
Syria but that such a friendship is not unconditional, that 
Moratinos was here in effect to "get tough" with the SARG. 
 
------------------------- 
PM Zapatero Set to Visit 
------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Colomina confirmed press reporting that PM Jose Louis 
Zapatero is interested in visiting Damascus sometime in 
mid-to-late November, but added that the SARG should not 
assume the visit is a foregone conclusion as progress on 
Israeli/Syrian peace talks and even the outcome of the U.S. 
elections would ultimately dictate whether or not such a 
visit would be useful, adding that &the Prime Minister will 
not come to Damascus if there is nothing for him to do.8 
Colomina said his government had agreed in principal to such 
a visit in August but has only now made the intention 
publicly known.  Colomina added that he personally believes, 
absent a major misstep by the SARG, Zapatero will be visiting 
Damascus in November. 
 
-------------------------- 
Syrian/Israeli Peace Talks 
-------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Prior to visiting Damascus, Moratinos met with Israeli 
FM Tzipi Livni, according to Colomina.  Based on Moratinos' 
meeting with Livni he conveyed to Asad and Muallem that Livni 
was "positive" on the continuation of indirect peace talks 
with Syria and that the 5th round of talks would proceed, 
"Israel just needs some time," Moratinos reportedly told the 
SARG.  Moratinos also reported to Spanish Embassy staff that 
if Israel responds positively to the questions posed by Syria 
 
DAMASCUS 00000666  002 OF 003 
 
 
in the fourth round of negotiations, then he expects direct 
talks to commence in short order. 
 
-------- 
On Iran 
-------- 
 
¶5. (C) According to Colomina, Moratinos noted the special 
nature of Syria's strategic partnership with Iran and asked 
that Syria push the Iranians to adopt a more constructive 
stance towards the international community with respect to 
Iran's nuclear program.  Moratinos reportedly told the SARG 
that he hoped Syria could play a constructive role in moving 
Iran into line with international standards which call for 
proper oversight of said programs.  The SARG responded that 
the international community must adopt a less accusatory 
approach on this issue if the international community expects 
to see any movement from the Iranian side. 
 
---------------------------- 
Union for the Mediterranean 
---------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) The SARG reportedly expressed their displeasure to 
Moratinos at the proposed structure of the Union for the 
Mediterranean.  Muallem suggested that the SARG was not happy 
with the "new face" of the project, principally Israel's 
elevated role, adding that it would be impossible for Syria 
to negotiate with Israel on trade issues absent broader Arab 
concurrence on the matter. 
 
--------------------- 
Association Agreement 
--------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) Colomina said Moratinos had little to say on this 
matter, reportedly telling the SARG that Spain will support 
whatever plan the French put forward. 
 
------------------------ 
All's Well With Lebanon 
------------------------ 
 
¶8. (C) Moratinos, according to Colomina, was happy with 
Syria's efforts with respect to Lebanon and expressed Spain's 
desire to see a normalization between the two countries 
continue unabated. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
SARG Upset Over Joint Letter Sent by EU Foreign Ministers 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶9. (C) Asked about the progress being made with respect to 
the bench marks outlined in the June 22 open joint-letter 
from German, Italian and Spanish FMs to FM Muallem, Colomina 
reported that Syria's negative reaction to the letter 
surprised his country.  Colomina explained that his country 
has been trying to "calm the situation" since the release of 
the letter, hinting that Moratinos' visit may have been part 
of the calming strategy. 
 
------------------------ 
No EU Consensus on Syria 
------------------------ 
 
¶10. (C) PolOff noted the similarities in the messages 
delivered to the SARG by French President Sarkozy in early 
September to those of Spanish FM Moratinos, Colomina 
responded that there is no common effort or position within 
the EU with regard to Syria. 
 
¶11. (C) Comment:  Spanish claims of Moratinos' "toughness" 
with the SARG lacked any substantiation.  As recently as 
September 15 Ambassador Satterfield briefed the Spanish 
Foreign Ministry on the dangers posed to Iraq by foreign 
fighter networks that operate with impunity within Syria and 
suggested that Spain challenge Asad to act constructively on 
this matter (reftel), yet the Spanish apparently failed to 
"get tough" with the SARG on this critical point.  The lack 
of substantive discussions suggest that Moratinos' mission to 
Damascus was little more than a primer for the upcoming visit 
of Spanish PM Zapatero.   Separately, while Muallem's star 
 
DAMASCUS 00000666  003 OF 003 
 
 
may be on the rise as the Spanish suggest, Vice President 
Shara'a, who was not present in any of the meetings as he had 
been in previous visits, may signal a decline in hard-liner 
VP Shara's involvement in foreign policy matters.  End 
Comment. 
CONNELLY