US embassy cable - 05MADRID2172

UNCLAS MADRID 002172 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, EAID, EIND, ECON, SP 
SUBJECT: CORRECTED COPY: SPAIN: DELIVERABLES FOR THE US-EU 
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON IRAQ 
 
REF: A. MADRID 02133 
 
     B. SECSTATE 103222 
 
This is a corrected copy of MADRID 02133 (reftel A).  Changes 
in paragraph 2 relate to the note on Spain's pledge 
disbursement numbers versus EB's numbers. 
 
1. Summary: Charge delivered reftel talking points to MFA 
Political Director Rafael Dezcallar.  Dezcallar said Foreign 
Minister Moratinos would attend the conference and that this 
meeting would be high profile for Spain.  Dezcallar said the 
Spanish government cannot guarantee that its USD 20 million 
donation to the UNDP for Iraq elections will be disbursed 
before the US-EU Iraq conference, but stressed Spain remains 
committed to meeting its Madrid Conference pledge.  End 
Summary. 
 
2. Dezcallar told Charge the MFA cannot guarantee that 
Spain's USD 20 million dollar donation to the UNDP fund for 
Iraqi elections will be deposited by the June 22 Conference, 
as involved agencies continue to work out modalities to 
deposit the funds.  The MFA, the Spanish Agency for 
International Development and the Ministry of Commerce are 
working to plan the spending of Spain's remaining USD 140 
million pledge from the Madrid Donor's Conference.  Dezcallar 
stressed that Spain is not backtracking, and that Spain 
remains committed to meeting its Madrid pledge.  However he 
said an additional pledge of aid for Iraq is not likely to be 
forthcoming, but hoped the U.S. would view Spain's already 
substantial pledge as significant.  He said Spain had 
disbursed a fair amount already (Note: Spain calculates that 
it has disbursed USD 117 million to date out of a USD 300 
million pledge.  World Bank and Department figures ut Spain's 
disbursement at USD 43 million out of a USD 220 million 
pledge.), and had additionally contributed ten percent of the 
EU pledge. 
 
MANZANARES