Cablegate: Unhrc: Spain Will Support Slovenia, Amenable To

VZCZCXRO9980
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHMD #0362 0591030
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281030Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1952
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO PRIORITY 0016
RUEHYE/AMEMBASSY YEREVAN PRIORITY 0008
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA PRIORITY 2476
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0839
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0313

UNCLAS MADRID 000362

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EUR/PGI
IO/RHS
DRL/MLGA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL UNHRC SP
SUBJECT: UNHRC: SPAIN WILL SUPPORT SLOVENIA, AMENABLE TO
BOSNIA

REF: STATE 21984

(SBU) Spanish Subdirector General for Human Rights Fernando
Fernandez-Arias told Poloff February 27 that Slovenia is the
only Eastern European nation to have requested Spanish
support for election to the UNHRC thus far. He said that
Spain supported Slovenia for the Council in 2006 and that
Slovenia's candidacy is important as a representative of
Southern Europe. Fernandez-Arias said that Bosnia had not
yet approached Spain but that Spain has an important and
close relationship with Bosnia and would be amenable to its
candidacy. In any case, he said, Spain would not consider
supporting Belarus under any circumstances. Fernandez-Arias
said that there was clearly a need for more quality
candidates for such an important institution, and he
emphasized the level of caution with which Spain is
approaching these elections. On the theme of EU
coordination, he told Poloff that he will depart for Brussels
February 28 for a meeting to discuss the EU approach to the
UNHRC candidacies.

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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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