US embassy cable - 05MADRID2630

UNCLAS MADRID 002630 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR OES/IHA (REBECCA DALEY) AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KSCA, TBIO, SP, WHO 
SUBJECT: SPAIN LIKELY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO 
POLIO ERADICATION INITIATIVE 
 
REF: SECSTATE 118559 
 
1.  ESTHOFF made reftel points June 29 to Health Ministry 
Deputy Director General for International Affairs Jose Perez 
Lazaro, thanking Spain for its 2004 contribution to the Polio 
Eradication Initiative (PEI) and requesting additional 
Spanish contributions to help meet the PEI's 50 million 
dollar 2005 funding gap. 
 
2.  Perez Lazaro contacted ESTHOFF July 13 to report that 
Spain had received an identical request from PEI co-leaders 
UNICEF and the WHO.  After receiving all these requests, 
Health Minister Salgado recommended that the Spanish Agency 
for International Cooperation (Spain's AID equivalent) 
provide additional unobligated 2005 funds to the PEI. 
Although a final decision has not yet been made, Perez Lazaro 
said it was very likely that Spain would be able to provide 
additional funds to the PEI later this calendar year.  He 
said he was not yet in a position to discuss the size of this 
likely additional contribution. 
 
3.  Regarding our request for Spanish help in meeting the 
anticipated 200 million dollar 2006 PEI funding gap, Perez 
Lazaro noted that the nature of the Spanish budget process 
made it unlikely that Spain could obligate 2006 funds for the 
PEI during the course of 2005.  He said Spain would keep the 
PEI in mind when it finalizes 2006 assistance budget plans. 
AGUIRRE