Cablegate: Spain On Un Scale of Assessments

VZCZCXRO9142
PP RUEHAST
DE RUEHMD #2512 2770822
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 040822Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0940
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA PRIORITY 2121
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0217

UNCLAS MADRID 002512

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR IO/S

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL AORC KUNR UNGA SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN ON UN SCALE OF ASSESSMENTS

REF: STATE 153946

1. (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel demarche to Juan Manuel
Gonzalez de Linares, Subdirector General for the United
Nations, on October 2. Linares told Emboff that the GOS
clearly understands that 22 percent is a red line for the
U.S. in terms of reaching a consensus on the scale of
assessments framework. However, he pointed out that the EU
is currently paying over 10 percent more than their total
share of GDP. Linares stated that the EU's bottom-line goal
is to make sure that the overall EU assessment does not
increase, even though Spain's assessment is likely to
increase by about a half percent (to 2.97), making them the
eight largest contributor. Spain is not interested in
alienating the United States in this debate.

2. (SBU) Additionally, Linares said that Spain is very
pleased with the Japanese proposal to implement an assessment
floor of from three to five percent for permanent Security
Council members, although he acknowledged that such a floor
would be highly unlikely to be adopted. Linares said that
the Spanish would remember the Japanese effort in the future.
Spain prefers using the six-year average. Spain is
considering the concept of factoring purchasing power parity
into the equation, and the GOS also is considering whether
the debt burden adjustment should be excluded.

3. (SBU) Spain's top priorities for the scale of assessments
discussion are to get increased contributions from "large
emerging economies," namely Nigeria, Russia, and China, based
on their capacity to pay more than they currently do. He
said the EU would seek "no mercy" for these three nations.

4. (SBU) With regards to the specific U.S. issue of raising
the 22 percent ceiling, Linares said he thought the USG could
help its cause by paying any outstanding arrears and by
moving forward with a generous contribution and financing
offer for the Capital Master Plan. Linares said that Spain
expects the U.S., as host nation and leading contributor, to
be generous in upgrading existing UN facilities.

5. (SBU) Finally, Linares sounded a cautionary note about EU
politics on this issue, noting that the new additions to the
EU were likely to see their assessment burdens quadruple or
quintuple as a result of their EU membership. This will
present a shock to these nations and will factor heavily in
the EU's internal deliberations on the matter. Linares said
that the EU will be dealing with both an external and
internal struggle on this issue.

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Visit Embassy Madrid's Classified Website;
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/madrid/
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AGUIRRE

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