US embassy cable - 05MADRID3150

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 003150 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NP AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2015 
TAGS: KNNP, AORC, TRGY, ENRG, SP, IAEA, Non-Proliferation Issues 
SUBJECT: SPANISH VIEWS ON IAEA COMMITTEE ON SAFEGUARDS AND 
VERIFICATION 
 
REF: SECSTATE 159113 
 
Classified By: ESTHOFF Ken Forder per 1.4 (B/D). 
 
1.  (U) ESTHOFF passed reftel points August 30 to MFA 
Disarmament Affairs Deputy Director General Marcos Rodriguez 
Cantero, thanking Spain for supporting the creation of the 
IAEA's Committee on Safeguards and Verification and 
requesting Madrid's views on membership, leadership and 
agenda-related issues.  Rodriguez Cantero told ESTHOFF 
September 2 that Spain has two concerns it would like to 
raise with Washington; one "national," the other 
"multilateral." 
 
2.  (C) From the national perspective, Spain strongly 
believes that countries should not/not have to sit on the 
IAEA's Board of Governors in order to be a member of the 
Committee on Safeguards and Verification.  This membership 
question needs to be sorted out before extensive 
agenda-related discussions are held. 
 
3.  (C) From the multilateral perspective, Spain believes 
that the case of Iran has shown that the IAEA's current "tool 
kit" is inadequate.  Spain believes the IAEA needs to be made 
more effective and hopes the new Committee on Safeguards and 
Verification can contribute to this process.  As a result of 
our approach, Spain will work to develop specific proposals 
on how to use the Committee and will pass these ideas to the 
U.S. via Vienna. 
AGUIRRE