Cablegate: Spain and Bmena: Pinning Down Foundation

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

181448Z Oct 05

UNCLAS MADRID 003649

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EUR AND NEA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PGOV PHUM PREL SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN AND BMENA: PINNING DOWN FOUNDATION
CONTRIBUTION

REF: STATE 190583

(SBU) Following up on several previous conversations on this
subjejct, PolCouns urged MFA DG for Middle East Iranzo to
convey to us by October 24 Spain's planned contribution to
BMENA's Foundation for the Future, as follow up to FM
Moratinos' pledge to contribute and to meetings in Madrid
with NEA MEPI and BMENA officials. Iranzo said that by the
Bahrain conference Moratinos would be able to announce the
figure but the government could not give us a figure now as
it was looking at where the money would come from within the
Spanish budget. Polcouns asked whether there were a problem
in the budgetary process and whether we could help in any way
to to pin down the amount. Iranzo said there were no
specific problems, but Spain had to work out its options.
PolCouns pressed whether Spain was still commited to a $1
million contribution. Iranzo replied that this was the
target, but noted that Spain had contributed to other BMENA
projects, including through the OECD and might include these
amounts as it signified its contribution. PolCouns stressed
our desire for a specific monetary commitment from Spain by
October 24, as part of the process of planning for the
November conference. We will continue to follow up on this
issue to pin down Spain's contribution before the November
conference.
AGUIRRE

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