US embassy cable - 04MADRID4501

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 004501 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2014 
TAGS: PARM, PREL, KTIA, SP, CWC 
SUBJECT: SPANISH OFFICIALS CANNOT ATTEND MEETING IN THE 
HAGUE ON CWC HOST COUNTRY AGREEMENTS 
 
REF: MADRID 4373 
 
Classified By: KATHLEEN M. FITZPATRICK, POLITICAL COUNSELOR. 
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (C) Summary:  Spanish officials have indicated that they 
will now be unable to attend discussion on the host country 
agreement (HCA) on the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) as 
previously promised because it conflicts with other arms 
control meetings that they are scheduled to attend during the 
November 29-December 3 Conference on State Parties (CSP) in 
The Hague.  According to an official in Office of Disarmament 
Affairs at the Spanish MFA, the GOS would not be able to 
discuss amendments to the CWC with USG officials until 
mid-December.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C) Poloff received a call on November 24 from Luis 
Gomez, chief of staff in the Spanish MFA's office of 
International Disarmament Affairs, who explained that he and 
the office's deputy director Marcos Rodriguez would be 
participating in a conference on the Ottawa Landmines 
Convention in Nairobi instead of The Hague CSP conference. 
Ministry of Defense official Jose Quedevo Ruiz was scheduled 
to attend a conference on the PSI in Helsinki, and the 
National Authority for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons 
technical advisor Nieves Gomez also had scheduling conflicts 
that prevented her from attending the Hague meeting.  He 
added that officials from Spain's mission to The Hague could 
not pursue discussions with USG officials on Spain's HCA 
without GOS officials from Madrid. 
 
3.  (C) Gomez assured Poloff that the MFA continues to 
consider discussions on the Chemical Weapons Convention a 
priority.  He explained that the scheduling conflicts and the 
commitments to other arms control meetings had caused the 
Spanish delegation members to reverse their decision to 
attend discussions on Spain's host country agreement at The 
Hague conference.  Gomez offered no additional details on 
whether the MFA plans to amend the most recent version of the 
CWC and said further discussions with USG officials would 
have to be delayed until mid-December. 
MANZANARES