US embassy cable - 05MADRID2478

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 002478 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR A/S FRIED AND EUR/WE 
NSC FOR NSA HADLEY 
DOD FOR OSD/ISP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, SP, American - Spanish Relations 
SUBJECT: SPAIN: AMBASSADOR AGUIRRE'S MEETING WITH FM 
MORATINOS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Eduardo Aguirre; reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) 
 
1. (C) Summary:  One day after his June 27 arrival in Spain, 
US Ambassador Eduardo Aguirre met with Foreign Minister 
Moratinos to lay the groundwork for a new relationship after 
a year of difficult relations with the Socialist government, 
but also to make clear US concerns about Spanish policy 
toward Venezuela and Cuba and the lingering wounds in 
Washington over the Zapatero government's harsh rhetoric on 
Iraq and US electoral politics last year.  Ambassador Aguirre 
urged Moratinos to undertake high level public statements to 
educate the Spanish public about the government's support for 
and active role in Iraq reconstruction and democratization, 
despite the withdrawal of Spanish troops.  Moratinos took 
note of this suggestion, underscoring Spanish financial 
support for Iraq reconstruction, training of Iraqi security 
forces and assistance in judicial training.  Moratinos told 
Aguirre he wants to work closely with him to avoid 
misperceptions and misunderstandings between the two 
countries.  END SUMMARY 
 
2. (C) Ambassador Aguirre thanked Moratinos for the warm 
welcome he had received already from the Spanish government, 
and for the speed in which the Spanish government has enabled 
him to get started.  Copies of his letters of credence were 
accepted upon arrival, enabling his meeting with Moratinos to 
focus on substance rather than courtesies.  The King had 
agreed to include him in a June 29 Ambassadorial credentials 
ceremony at the Royal Palace, which opens the door for an 
early meeting with President Zapatero.  The Ambassador told 
Moratinos that this quick start fit with his personal style 
and his desire to be active as the face and the voice of 
US-Spain relations.  Ambassador Aguirre underscored to 
Moratinos he plans to engage the Spanish public and press as 
well as the government to convey US views and explain US 
policies.  He said President Bush, NSC Advisor Hadley and 
Secretary Rice want him to turn a new, fresh page in the 
 
SIPDIS 
relationship, with the Ambassador as the face and voice of 
the Administration.  The Ambassador invited Moratinos to join 
him as a partner in this endeavor. 
 
3. (C) Moratinos welcomed the Ambassador's active approach 
and said that the Spanish government had wanted to ensure a 
rapid start to his tenure in Madrid.  King Juan Carlos 
personally decided to include the Ambassador in the 
already-scheduled June 29 credentials ceremony for several 
other Ambassadors, even though these ceremonies usually take 
place at least a month or more after an Ambassador's arrival 
in country. 
 
4. (C) Ambassador Aguirre,s arrival, Moratinos said, 
provides an opportunity to clear up misperceptions about the 
Zapatero government's policies and intentions, which had 
taken root after the Spanish troop withdrawal and during the 
US electoral campaign. Moratinos wants the US to understand 
that the Zapatero government seeks to create an atmosphere 
with the US of friendship and collegiality, and would like 
Washington to understand that his government is not 
anti-American nor ideological in its approach.  While lines 
of communication were good, particularly after the series of 
high level meetings such as Moratinos with Secretary Rice and 
Defense Minister Bono with Secretary Rumsfeld, Moratinos 
hoped the arrival of a new US Ambassador offered the 
opportunity to develop a close dialogue and full cooperation 
with the Bush Administration.  Moratinos said he had 
responded to a Spanish TV reporter's question June 27 about 
whether  Presidents Bush and Zapatero would meet by saying 
that he had offered a broad time frame for a possible meeting 
within the tenure of the current Spanish legislature (which 
has at least 3 more years to go).  Moratinos said he hoped 
that relations by then would have improved to such an extent 
that such a meeting could be possible. 
 
5. (C) On Venezuela and Cuba, Moratinos worried that our 
policy differences had contributed to misperceptions between 
Washington and Madrid.  He told the Ambassador that Spain 
shared U.S. objectives aimed its policies toward results and 
deeds.  He urged cooperation between Spain and the US on 
these and other Latin America issues, which would have a 
significant force-multiplying effect.  On the positive side, 
Moratinos pointed to Spain's full support and leadership role 
in Afghanistan as a major positive element in our 
relationship.  As an example, Moratinos noted Defense 
Minister Bono's appearance in the Spanish Parliament June 22 
to announce additional troop deployments to support 
legislative elections there. 
 
6. (C) Ambassador Aguirre said his focus would be on tangible 
results in the relationship and would not measure success by 
high-level visits (which he also stressed to the Spanish 
press after the meeting).  The Ambassador urged Moratinos to 
work with him to turn our difficulties over Cuba and 
Venezuela into a net positive in our relationship, by 
remaining on the same page and avoiding steps that legitimize 
and encourage Chavez and Castro. 
 
7. (C)  On Iraq, the Ambassador told Moratinos that while the 
US had put the troop withdrawal issue behind us, there 
remained considerable lingering concern and irritation over 
the Zapatero government's rhetoric in the months following 
the withdrawal and during the US electoral campaign.  This 
irritation will not easily dissipate but could be 
ameliorated, the Ambassador suggested, by new, positive 
public rhetoric by Zapatero and his team emphasizing that 
Spain recognizes progress made in Iraq.  New Spanish rhetoric 
could note that Spain, along with the United States is now 
focused on the here and now and the future of Iraq, including 
reconstruction, democratization and capacity-building for 
Iraqi security forces.  Such statements, aimed at educating 
the Spanish public about current goals and objectives in Iraq 
rather than dwelling on the past, would be noticed and 
welcomed in Washington.  Moratinos said he would "take good 
note" of this advice, underscoring Spain's active role in 
providing financial support for reconstruction and 
development, training Iraqi security forces and judicial and 
related training. 
 
8. (C) Ambassador Aguirre pointed to the Middle East and 
North Africa as areas in which the US and Spain shared common 
objectives and as ripe for opportunities to work together. 
Moratinos agreed, welcoming Secretary Rice's activism in the 
region.  It would be very useful, Moratinos said, if all of 
the players in Washington, the EU and its members, the 
Quartet, could unify their messages both to Israel and the 
Palestinians.  In North Africa, Moratinos said that 
competition among the players does not have to be the norm 
and that there is space for all, including in the area of 
commercial interests such as in oil and natural gas.  He 
urged the development of a common strategic vision in  this 
region. 
 
9. (C) In a one-on-one session after the meeting, Moratinos 
again underscored to the Ambassador his government's desire 
to avoid misunderstandings with the United States and to open 
a new chapter in the relationship.  The Ambassador said that 
he would work toward this end, but would also be frank but 
constructive about policy differences. 
AGUIRRE