Cablegate: Spain Requests Support for Its Icao Group Ii Re-

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS MADRID 001834

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EB/TRA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR SP ICAO
SUBJECT: SPAIN REQUESTS SUPPORT FOR ITS ICAO GROUP II RE-
ELECTION

1. This is an action request. See paragraph 4.

2. Embassy received a dip note from the Spanish Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Cooperation requesting USG support and
affirmative vote for the GOS's reelection as member of the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council,
Group II. The vote will take place during ICAO's meetings
in Montreal from September 28 through October 8.

3. An informal translation of the pertinent language of the
dip note follows:

Begin Informal Translation

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation presents its
compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America
in Madrid and has the honor to communicate that Spain is
going to stand for the re-election as member of the ICAO
Council, Group II, at the elections that will be during the
35th Session of the Assembly of this organization to be held
in Montreal from 28 September to 8 October 2004.

Spain has belonged to the ICAO Council uninterruptedly since
1951, having taken an active part in different Committees
and Working Groups of the Organization, especially in
operational safety, protection of air transport, and
development of the world system of satellite navigation
areas.

Spain's geographic situation, as well as other factors
(e.g., economic and political factors), make it a country
with special interests in transport and air navigation, and
in the promotion of international civil aviation.

In 2003, the movement of airships and passengers in Spain's
41 airports open for public use registered an increase of
6.49% and 7.43% respectively, totaling more than 151 million
of passengers and more than 1.5 million airship movements.
Of the 41 mentioned airports, seven of them registered more
than 8 million passengers; Madrid airport (35.4 million),
Barcelona (22.5 million), and Palma de Mallorca (19.1
million).

Spain wishes to continue paying special attention to
cooperative programs in the next triennium with developing
countries, finalizing new agreements of technical
cooperation with different countries, in harmony with the
goals and principles that the ICAO promotes.

For all the above reasons, Spain would appreciate the
valuable support of the United States in its re-election as
member of the ICAO Council.

End translation.

4. Embassy requests advice on how to respond.

ARGYROS

© Scoop Media