US embassy cable - 04MADRID2618

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002618 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/08/2014 
TAGS: PREL, SP, EUN 
SUBJECT: SPANISH RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON JULY 12-13 EU FMS 
MEETING 
 
REF: STATE 147536 
 
Classified By: Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Political Counselor, for Reasons 1 
.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary: Spain sees the EU-ASEM summit in danger over 
the insistence of Asian nations to include Burma as a full 
member.  The GOS supports the opening of an EC office in 
Baghdad and stresses the importance of holding at least one 
of the two planned elections in Afghanistan this Fall.  On 
the Venezuela recall referendum, Spain says that the EU has 
not been invited to observe and will not fund an OAS mission, 
but that Spain is willing to provide funding for OAS 
observers. End summary. 
 
2. (C) We delivered reftel demarche on July 9 to Enrique 
Mora, Director of the MFA's Office of EU Foreign Policy and 
Common Security.  We reiterated our opposition to the EU's 
lifting of its arms embargo on China, stressing our deep 
concern about regional security issues and again pointing to 
China's problematic human rights record.  We also noted 
information on the types of weaponry that have been provided 
by EU countries to China even with the embargo in place. 
Mora had no new comment on this issue. 
 
3. (C) Regarding relations with Asia, Mora stated that the 
upcoming EU-ASEM summit was indeed in danger of being 
cancelled.  He said that two minor EU-ASEM meetings (Economic 
and Finance-related, he believed) had already been suspended 
because of ASEM's insistence on full membership for Burma. 
Mora said that the EU had proposed allowing Burma to attend 
at a status less than that of a member state, but that the 
Asian countries had rejected the offer and continue to 
threaten to deny membership for the 10 new EU nations if 
Burma is not admitted. 
 
4. (C) On Iraq, Mora stated that Spain favors the opening of 
an EC office in Baghdad and that they continue to be 
interested in training Iraqi police.  He did mention, though, 
that they envision this training to occur in Spain (possibly 
at their police academy in Avila), rather than in Iraq. 
 
5. (C) On the subject of Venezuela, Mora said that the EU had 
not been invited to send an observer team.  He also stated 
that though the EU would not be providing funding for an OAS 
observer mission, Spain is willing to provide funding. 
 
6. (C) Regarding Afghanistan, he said that there was little 
chance of creating an OSCE election observation mission until 
the security situation improves.  On the subject of the 
elections, he emphasized that Spain understands if the Karzai 
government needs to push back the presidential elections to 
2005, but that the parliamentary elections need to be held 
this September or October.  Mora said that Spain feels that 
having both elections postponed would send an unacceptable 
message and strengthen the Taliban's position. 
MANZANARES