US embassy cable - 04MADRID4603

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 004603 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMGT, ECON, ETRD, EINV, PGOV, PREL, SP 
SUBJECT: VIRTUAL PRESENCE PROGRAM (VPP) IN 
SEVILLE/ANDALUSIA INITIATED 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary  Embassy Madrid has decided to initiate 
Virtual Presence Programs (VPP) for Andalusia and the Basque 
country a one year trial basis.  Charge initiated the 
Andalusia VPP concept while visiting Seville November 
30-December 1.  He hosted a well attended reception for the 
U.S. Davis Cup tennis team and local officials.  The tennis 
team is captained by Patrick McEnroe and includes the world 
number two ranked player:  Andy Roddick.  The U.S. team will 
compete with the Spanish team in the Davis Cup final in 
Seville December 3-5.  Charge's visit generated extensive 
press coverage-he got the message out that while we have 
differences, Spain and the U.S. con continue to work together 
on important issues, including security matters.  Charge met 
with Autonomous Community of Andalusia President Manuel 
Chavez Gonzalez, a nationally influential PSOE stalwart. 
(Note:  In Spain, "Autonomous Communities" are roughly 
equivalent to states in the U.S., although Spain is formally 
still a unitary country).  Chavez reiterated the PSOE 
position that Spain wants to be "useful," for instance in the 
Middle East, to the U.S., although he prefaced his remarks by 
saying he does not speak for the GOS.  Charge also met with a 
representative for the Mayor of Seville.  Both Chavez and the 
Mayor's representative welcomed the prospect of a continuing 
dialogue with the U.S. Embassy through the Virtual Presence 
Program.  End Summary. 
 
WHY VIRTUAL PRESENCE IN ANDALUSIA 
 
2.  (U)  We closed our Consulate General in Seville fifteen 
years ago, but we still maintain a two person Consular Agency 
in Seville.  There are numerous reasons to make an effort to 
maintain an ongoing dialogue with the regional and city 
governments.  Andalusia is big with seven million out of 
Spain's 40 million inhabitants.  The PSOE leadership is 
nationally influential.  Andalusia is home to many American 
retirees and hosts many tourists.  We have two important 
military bases there.  See Para. 3 for a non-exhaustive list 
of our ongoing interests and activities in Andalusia.  Our 
idea is to use this list as a basis for developing additional 
programs and activities serving Mission Program Plan (MPP) 
goals.  Trade Policy Officer Carl Schonander is the Embassy's 
Andalusia Virtual Program Coordinator.  He will be liaisoning 
on an ongoing basis with regional and city officials 
regarding ways we might expand activities in and with 
Andalusia. 
 
UNITED STATES PRESENCE/ACTIVITIES IN SEVILLE AND ANDALUSIA 
 
3.  (U)  Consular Agency to remain; Rota and Moron bases. 
Container Security Initiative in Algeciras.  U.S.-Spain 
Council 10th Annual Meeting probably in February, 2005 
(chaired by Senator Chris Dodd and Antonio Garrigues). 
U.S. Embassy to support Seville June 2005 conference on 
academic exchanges called "Building Bridges"; sponsor 
speakers for Universidad de Jaen Spring 2005 Spanish 
Association of American Studies biannual program; assist 
Malaga Centro de Arte Contemporaneo put together an exhibit 
by American artist Alex Katz in February-June 2005. 
Researchers from Andalusia have received Fulbright 
scholarships; some U.S. Fulbright scholars perform research 
in Andalusia. International Visitor Program: Intensified 
effort to find qualified candidates from Andalusia. United 
States Commercial Service (USCS)/Confederacion Empresarios 
Andaluses (CEA) seminar in 2005. U.S. Embassy Environment, 
Science and Technology Officer to explore possibility of 
greater Science & Technology cooperation with Andalusia, as 
well as greater Andalusian presence in the Fulbright grant 
process. Annual visit by American Consul General. Political 
Section visits in 2005 especially oriented towards 
identifying and providing counterterrorism training to 
members of local law enforcement agencies. Seville maintains 
a sister city relationship with Kansas City. 
 
NOVEMBER 30 RECEPTION A SUCCESS 
 
4. (U) The first Embassy-hosted reception in Seville in four 
years proved successful with the Mayor in attendance and top 
lieutenants to the President of the Autonomous Community of 
Andalusia.  The hook of the U.S. Davis Cup tennis team's 
presence generated excitement. The Davis Cup final, a three 
day event, has attracted sold out crowds in Seville and is 
one of the most important sporting events the city has 
hosted.  The U.S. reception attracted national,regional, 
local, and TV media.  Charge's subsequent TV and press 
interviews also received widespread positive coverage. 
 
 
MEETING WITH PRESIDENT OF ANDALUSIA AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY 
MANUEL CHAVEZ GONZALEZ 
 
5. (SBU) Chavez is a heavyweight within the PSOE.  Had he 
been willing to leave Andalusia, he would have been a strong 
contender for the PSOE leadership.  He is nationally 
influential and travels frequently in Spain and abroad. 
Chavez was receptive to closer contacts with the Embassy in 
Madrid.  He was very interested in the upcoming U.S.-Spain 
Council meeting, provisionally scheduled for February 2005 in 
Seville.  He reiterated the PSOE line that Spain wants to be 
"useful" to the U.S., although he prefaced his remarks by 
saying that he does not speak for the GOS.  He said that Iraq 
was an "accident" in U.S.-Spanish relations and that the two 
countries should return to "normality.8 Chavez said he grew 
up with Americans from the military bases in Andalusia.  He 
noted that he had been selected twice for International 
Visitor programs.  The first time he could not go because the 
Franco government stopped him.  The second time he went in 
the late seventies, and he said it had been a good 
experience.  Chavez opined that Catalonia was medium-term a 
more significant problem for Spain's constitutional future 
than the Basque country despite the terrorism problem in the 
latter.  He said the Catalonia PSOE was more nationalist than 
socialist, whereas the Basque PSOE was more socialist than 
nationalist. (Comment: A fundamental problem for leaders of 
autonomous communities like Andalusia that are comfortable 
with a Spanish identity is that if Catalonia and the Basque 
country demand and receive more powers, the other communities 
often feel duty-bound to demand the same concessions from the 
central government.  There is resistance in Spain to the idea 
that some communities should effectively be more equal than 
others such as Quebec is in the Canadian Confederation and 
Scotland in the United Kingdom).  Chavez mentioned that he is 
currently reading Bob Woodward's "Plan of Attack,8 and that 
he found the book's description of decision making at the 
highest level of the USG "interesting.8 
 
MEETING WITH SEVILLE ADJUNCT PRESIDENT FOR INTERNATIONAL 
RELATIONS ALFONSO SEOANE YARZA 
 
6. (U) Seoane mentioned that he had just returned from a trip 
to Tangiers.  He said that Spanish businesses were 
potentially interested in investing in Morocco to take 
advantage of the U.S.-Morocco FTA.  He noted that some 
Spanish businesses really were suffering from the Euro-Dollar 
exchange rate, and that they needed to do everything possible 
to increase competitiveness.  Seoane reiterated that the City 
of Seville would like to see the U.S. use the Consular Agency 
building more often.  Charge noted that the building was too 
large for U.S. needs, and that we would probably return the 
building to the City when our lease expires in February 2006, 
although a final USG decision has not been made.  Seoane was 
very interested in expanding student exchange programs.  He 
also mentioned that baseball was becoming more popular, and 
that he would like to try to arrange a game between an 
Andalusian team and a team from the Rota naval base.  Seoane 
mentioned that Seville's top female soccer player (Seville 
plays in the A feminine league) is an American called 
Jennifer Talavera-she gets a lot of attention in the local 
press. 
 
COMMENT 
 
7. (U) Charge's trip to Seville proved a good launching pad 
for the Virtual Presence Program in Andalusia. 
MANZANARES