Cablegate: Spain Condemns North Korean Nuclear Test

VZCZCXRO5767
OO RUEHAG RUEHBZ RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ
DE RUEHMD #2556 2841359
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 111359Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0988
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 0681
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0656

UNCLAS MADRID 002556

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE, ISN, EAP AND IO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PARM KNNP KN SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN CONDEMNS NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST

REF: SECSTATE 169418

1. DCM passed reftel points October 10 to MFA Rafael
Dezcallar, Director General for Policy. ESTHOFF
doubletracked same points with MFA Disarmament Affairs Deputy
Director General Ignacio Sanchez. Given that the GOS had
publicly condemned the North Korean nuclear test on October 9
(see below), DCM and ESTHOFF urged their interlocutors to
implement expeditiously and completely all requirements
contained in the expected UNSCR denouncing the test.

2. Begin informal Embassy translation of the MFA October 9
statement on the North Korean nuclear test: "The Government
of Spain condemns that the DPRK, ignoring the warning of the
international community contained in UNSCR 1695, has carried
out the nuclear test that it had announced several days
earlier via its state press agency. This grave provocation
will isolate the DPRK even more and can only serve to hurt
the North Korean people. The Government of Spain views, with
grave preoccupation, the alteration in the regional balance
in northeast Asia caused by this test, as well as the effects
it can have on international peace and security. The
Government of Spain requests that the Government of the DPRK
return immediately to the six-party talks in order to
implement the accords of September 19, 2005. The Government
of Spain remains in close contacts with its EU partners to
study the measures that will applied in this case." End text
of MFA statement.

3. Spanish Foreign Minister Moratinos made comments to the
press October 9 which basically repeated the language of the
above communique. In brief, he characterized the test as a
"grave provocation" and indicated that he would consult with
his EU partners regarding "the measures" that would be
adopted in response Moratinos also called for North Korea to
return to the six-party talks.

4. Deputy Foreign Minister Bernadino Leon, during an October
9 meeting with visiting Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister
Masakazu Sekiguchi, also expressed the GOS' "preoccupation"
with the test and noted that it had already "been condemned
by Foreign Minister Moratinos in the name of Prime Minister
Zapatero." Sekiguchi reportedly characterized the test as a
"threat to peace and security" in east Asia and said it was
"indispensable" that North Korea return to the six-party
talks.

AGUIRRE

© Scoop Media