US embassy cable - 05MADRID113

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000113 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2014 
TAGS: KNNP, MNUC, PARM, PREL, KTIA, PHSA, EWWT, Non-Proliferation Issues 
SUBJECT: SPAIN'S VIEWS ON U.S. NONPROLIFERATION AMENDMENTS 
TO THE SUA CONVENTION 
 
REF: STATE 4828 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Ricardo Zuniga for reasons 1.4 (b) and 
 (d). 
 
1.  (C)  Poloff discussed policy issue papers and reftel 
talking points concerning U.S. nonproliferation amendments to 
the Convention against the Suppression of Unlawful Acts 
against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA) with Marcos 
Rodriguez Cantero, MFA Deputy Director General for 
Disarmament Affairs, and Jose Maria Lavina, a member of the 
MFA technical staff on disarmament and terrorism issues. 
Spain supports the U.S. amendment to SUA regarding dual-use 
offense and will likely support the amendment to SUA 
regarding transfer of dual-use items to non-state and state 
actors.  Lavina said that the coordinating group on SUA 
related issues had not discussed the implications of the 
second U.S. policy paper regarding the transfer of dual-use 
items to non-state and state actors, but that the group would 
meet before the end of the month and have a decision before 
meetings in Brussels beginning January 31.  The coordinating 
group is composed of members from six agencies--Justice, 
Interior, Transportation, Treasury, Defense, and the MFA. 
Lavina promised to raise concerns at the next coordinating 
group meeting.  Spain agrees with the U.S. interpretation of 
UNSC 1540. 
 
2.  (C)  Rodriguez Cantero and Lavina did not know who would 
be representing Spain at the January 17, 2005, European law 
of the sea meeting (COMAR) that will be chaired by the 
Netherlands.  Lavina said that a member of the Ministry of 
Transportation will probably represent Spain at the meeting. 
He said that he would call post when he found out who would 
represent Spain. 
 
// SOUNDING OUT USG VIEWS ON IAEA LEADERSHIP // 
 
3.  (C)  Rodriguez Cantero was interested in the U.S. view of 
Mohammed ElBaradei's intention to run for a third term as 
head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 
Although the Spanish government supports ElBaradei, Rodriguez 
Cantero said he personally would favor a change in 
leadership, as ElBaradei has already served two terms.  He 
had heard that the U.S. was not supportive of ElBaradei, but 
he wondered if the U.S. was going to take any concrete 
actions against his bid for a third-term as IAEA head. 
Poloff told Rodriguez Cantero that the U.S. had not taken any 
formal action against ElBaradei's bid. 
MANZANARES