Cablegate: Spain Supports Eu Efforts On Riad Seif

VZCZCXRO2178
PP RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHYG
DE RUEHMD #1644 2401438
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281438Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3272
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 0222
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0739
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 0164
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 0252
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0123
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 0335
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 2421
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA PRIORITY 2997
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY

UNCLAS MADRID 001644

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DRL/NESCA FOR JOSEPH BARGHOUT
NEA/ELA FOR GAUTAM RANA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EUN JA KDEM PHUM PREL SA SY SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN SUPPORTS EU EFFORTS ON RIAD SEIF

REF: STATE 119436

(SBU) Acting PolCouns delivered reftel demarche to MFA
Deputy Director General for Human Rights Fernando
Fernandez-Arias on August 28. Fernandez-Arias was aware of
the EU approach on the issue and said that Spain preferred to
handle issues such as this at the EU level as it provided
more weight than an individual demarche. He committed to
share the information with the Political Director and the
Deputy DG for the Middle East Alberto Ucelay, but he
expressed his belief that Spain would wait to see whether EU
efforts made any headway in getting Syria to allow Seif to
exit the country before considering a bilateral approach.

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