US embassy cable - 04MADRID2417

UNCLAS MADRID 002417 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM, PREL, SP, CWC 
SUBJECT: SPANISH UNDECIDED ON CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION 
TECHNICAL CHANGE 
 
REF: STATE 136811 
 
1. (SBU) Summary:  Poloff discussed reftel points June 24 
with Marcos Rodriguez in the MFA's Office of International 
Disarmament Affairs.  Poloff delivered the demarche jointly 
with Enrico Vencenti, political counselor at the Italian 
Embassy and Peter Spoor, first secretary political officer at 
the British Embassy.  Rodriguez said Spain favored changing 
the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) to allow Libya to 
convert its chemical weapons facilities to be used for 
peaceful purposes.  However, Spain was still examining all 
options for adding the proposed technical change to the CWC, 
including an amendment.  Spain supports a "sustainable, 
non-discriminatory, non-ad-hoc" solution to change the CWC, 
but is unlikely to formulate a position before the June 
29-July 2 Executive Council meeting.  End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) Rodriguez said that after consulting with France and 
Germany at the last NPT PrepCom III meeting and the Western 
European and Others Group (WEOG) meeting, Spain considered 
amending the CWC the best option to allow new countries to 
join the CWC and convert their chemical weapons facilities to 
be used for peaceful purposes.  Poloff reiterated reftel 
contingency points explaining why an amendment would not be 
necessary or appropriate in this case. 
 
3. (SBU) Rodriguez responded that these issues would have to 
be studied by the legal advisor in National Authority on 
Chemical Weapons in the Ministry of Industry.  Once reviewed, 
the Ministry of Industry would make a recommendation to 
Minister of Foreign Affairs.  The Minister would then send 
instructions to Spain's mission in The Hague.  This process 
would not give Spain time to formulate a position by the 
upcoming Executive Council meeting, scheduled for June 
29-July 2.  Therefore, Spain would likely ask for more time 
to consider the U.S. proposal for a technical change to the 
CWC. 
 
4. (SBU) Rodriguez said that he did not expect Spain to 
reject the draft language contained in U.S. proposed 
technical change to the CWC.  The question remains whether 
Spain would accept this measure as a technical change or as 
an amendment, as proposed by the French and Germans.  Spain 
is more likely to accept the U.S. proposal if France and 
Germany do not express strong objections to the U.S. draft 
proposal.  Poloff left a copy of the contingency points with 
the Rodriguez, as well as with the British and Italian 
political officers.  We will report any new developments in 
Spain's position. 
ARGYROS