ID

45456

Etiquetas

PREL, SP, American - Spanish Relations

Fecha

2005-11-17 15:30:00

RefID

05MADRID4009

Origen

Embassy Madrid

Clasificación

UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Destino

Encabezado

Contenido

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

171530Z Nov 05

UNCLAS MADRID 004009

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

@ELIMINADO@

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PREL, SP, American - Spanish Relations

SUBJECT: LETTER TO SECRETARY FROM FM MORATINOS

1. (SBU) During the November 16 visit to Madrid of EUR

Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried, Deputy Foreign Minister

Bernardino Leon gave A/S Fried a letter to Secretary Rice

from Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos. The

letter discusses the Spanish government,s positive view of

the state of the bilateral relationship and invites the

Secretary to visit Spain in the first quarter of 2006. Para

SIPDIS

2 contains an informal translation of the letter. The

original will be sent to the Department via pouch.

2. (SBU) INFORMAL TRANSLATION OF LETTER FROM FM MORATINOS TO

THE SECRETARY:

Begin text:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Minister and Cooperation

Ms. Condoleezza Rice

Secretary of State

SIPDIS

United States of America

Madrid, November 15, 2005

Dear Condi:

First I want to express my satisfaction over the positive

development in relations between Spain and the United States

of America in recent months. This is undoubtedly due to the

efforts and attention you and your team at the Department of

State have devoted to these relations.

The Spanish Government has also made great efforts to promote

relations between our two countries. Our working meeting on

last April 15th in Washington was followed by visits by the

Spanish Ministers of Interior, Justice, Defense, Education

and Science, and Industry, Trade and Tourism, and meetings

between senior officials of our two countries on regional

issues in the Middle East, the Mediterranean, North Africa

and Latin America. In the fight against terrorism and

organized crime, along with signing agreements on mutual

legal assistance, extradition and customs cooperation, we

have also agreed to establish operational working groups

between our two countries, respective services.

Spain and the United States have also increased their

cooperation in areas of crisis, such as Bosnia, Kosovo,

Afghanistan, and more recently in NATO,s operations to aid

Pakistan. Last September, Spain took charge of a Provincial

Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan in the framework of ISAF.

The Spanish Government confirms its full commitment in the

Atlantic Alliance,s effort to promote peace and well-being

for the Afghan people.

My Government agrees with the U.S. Government on the need to

promote economic and political reforms in countries in the

Middle East and North Africa. I am very pleased to have

participated in the recent meeting of the Forum for the

Future in Bahrain and that Spain is actively collaborating in

the creation of the Foundation for the Future. I am also

pleased that the United States Government has stated its

intent to participate in the Alliance of Civilizations

initiative that the Governments of Spain and Turkey are

jointly sponsoring.

I therefore feel that regular consultations between the

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and the Secretary

of State are very important to continue promoting our

relations and our collaboration. I am therefore pleased to

invite you to make an official visit to Spain, if possible

during the first quarter of 2006, whenever your schedule

permits, in order to continue such consultations. Your

presence in our country would undoubtedly send a clear

message of the firm desire of the United States and Spain to

cooperate in solidarity as allies and friends.

Warm regards.

Yours (illegible) (handwritten)

Miguel

Miguel Angel Moratinos

End text.

AGUIRRE;"