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### Viewing cable 09SANTIAGO331, VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN'S MARCH 28 MEETING WITH PRIME

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
09SANTIAGO331 | 2009-04-07 20:57 | 2010-12-13 12:00 | SECRET | Embassy Santiago

`

    VZCZCXYZ0003
    OO RUEHWEB

    DE RUEHSG #0331/01 0972057
    ZNY SSSSS ZZH
    O 072057Z APR 09
    FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4766
    INFO RUEHXQ/ALL EUROPEAN UNION POST COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

` `

    S E C R E T SANTIAGO 000331

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2019
    TAGS: OVIP BIDEN JOSEPH PREL ECON PGOV SOCI EU
    SUBJECT: VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN'S MARCH 28 MEETING WITH PRIME
    MINISTER JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO

    Classified By: Ambassador Paul Simons for reasons 1.4 (b/d).

    ¶1. (U) March 28, 2009; 9:20 am; Vina del Mar, Chile.

    ¶2. (U) Participants:

    U.S.
    Joseph Biden, Vice President
    Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor to the
    Vice President
    Brian McKeon, Deputy National Security Advisor to
    the Vice President
    Dan Restrepo, Senior Director, Western Hemisphere
    Affairs, National Security Council
    Craig Kelly, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
    of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S.
    Dept. of State
    Brian Harris (notetaker), Political/Economic
    Chief, U.S. Embassy Guatemala City

    SPAIN
    Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Prime Minister
    Bernadino Leon, Secretary General of the Presidency
    Nieves Goicoechea, Deputy Secretary of State for
    Communications
    Trinidad Jimenez, Deputy Secretary of State for
    Latin America
    Maria Solanes, Presidential Counselor for
    International Affairs

    ¶3. (C) Summary: During a bilateral meeting on the margins
    of the Progressive Governance Leaders Summit in Chile, Vice
    President Joseph Biden and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis
    Rodriguez Zapatero discussed the need for a strengthened
    relationship and greater collaboration between Europe and the
    United States. Vice President Biden pledged increased
    consultation with Europe and called on Spain and other
    European nations to follow through on commitments with
    action. He also criticized the lack of consultation prior to
    Spain's withdrawal from Kosovo and requested Spain consult
    the United States earlier and in a more transparent fashion
    in the future. Zapatero defended the decision to withdraw
    but allowed that Spain could have consulted earlier with the
    United States. End Summary.

    --------------------------------------------- -------
    Expectations and New U.S. Approach to Foreign Policy
    --------------------------------------------- -------

    ¶4. (C) PM Zapatero opened the meeting by congratulating Vice
    President Biden on the election victory and saying it had
    raised expectations in Spain and throughout Europe for a new
    relationship with the United States. Vice President Biden
    thanked Zapatero and added that expectations may be too high,
    and President Obama knows that high expectations have more to
    do with the failures of the previous administration than with
    his new administration.

    ¶5. (C) Vice President Biden added that we want to change our
    foreign policy paradigm. We know that most of our challenges
    lie beyond the scope of the United States to confront alone
    and that President Obama genuinely wants engage in dialogue
    with partners around the world to develop consensus around
    solutions. We know what the pillars of our policy are, but
    unless we listen and work with our partners, it will not
    matter much.

    ¶6. (C) Vice President Biden went on to say that Spain and
    the United States have worked as great partners in Iraq and
    we need to enhance the cooperation between our two countries.
    The relationship has not been all positive in recent years
    but there was no reason why it could not change instantly.

    ¶7. (C) Zapatero responded that managing the relationship
    between the United States and Spain under the Bush
    administration was easy for him. Whatever position the Bush
    Administration took, he would take the opposite and see his
    domestic poll numbers increase. Sarcastically, Zapatero said
    "for that I will always be grateful to the Bush
    Administration." Now, however, Spain, and Europe in general,
    want a change in the relationship with the United States.
    Europe is a group of countries that the United States can
    trust. We share the same general outlook and, to a great
    extent, the same strategic interests. Europe wants to see a
    United States that shares decision making on global issues
    and listens to everyone, rather than pushing a single
    dogmatic view as with the Bush administration. Europe is the
    world's greatest debating club which--despite numerous
    cultures, 27 countries, and 20 languages--can still reach
    consensus. Were Europeans to be a little bolder, they would
    have a great impact on world affairs. Now Europeans want to

    contribute to reinvigorated U.S. leadership by helping to
    contribute the best ideas and principles to help solve global
    challenges.

    ¶8. (C) Vice President Biden said that for eight years the
    doctrine of "my way or the high way" had been ascendant in
    American foreign policy and that he had long spoken against
    this in the Senate. In his recent speeches at the Munich
    Security Conference and at the North Atlantic Council he had
    been a consistent proponent of collaboration and consensus
    building. However, consensus building can have the drawback
    of leading to the lowest common denominator. Working
    together, Europe and the United States must reach agreement,
    then implement plans and enforce the rules of the road.
    Despite being an ardent Atlanticist, Vice President Biden
    noted that Europe has been reluctant to act to enforce the
    rules to which Europeans have ascribed. The Obama
    administration brings good news and bad news for Europeans.
    Unlike the Bush administration, the Obama administration will
    genuinely consult and listen to its European partners.
    However, once a decision is reached, the Obama administration
    will be more aggressive in asking Europeans to follow through
    on its commitments.

    ¶9. (C) Vice President Biden said regular Americans in places
    like Peoria and Albuquerque do not like being a superpower,
    they want others, such as Europe to help lead. When the idea
    of a European military force separate from the NATO command
    structure emerged, many in the Bush administration railed
    against it. However, Vice President Biden said he had been
    supportive of the idea and did not view it as a threat. In a
    light moment, when Zapatero said that the European Defense
    Force would happen, Vice President Biden extended his hand
    and said "I bet it won't." Vice President Biden said we
    view the U.S.-European relationship as an axis of world
    stability and we need to work together to strengthen it.

    ------
    Kosovo
    ------

    ¶10. (C) Vice President Biden said that we want to genuinely
    collaborate with Spain, but changing a relationship was
    difficult, and required reciprocal changes. For example,
    when Spain unilaterally withdrew its mission to Kosovo, we
    would have appreciated advanced warning and collaboration.
    The decision is a sovereign one for Spain to make and one
    that the United States respects, but we should discuss it in
    advance.

    ¶11. (C) Zapatero responded that there must have been a
    misunderstanding. Spain made the decision to withdraw a year
    ago and could not maintain participation in the mission once
    Kosovo declared its independence and was recognized by
    numerous nations. Spain is a fractious country with Basque
    (ETA) terrorist organization that has killed over 900
    Spaniards in an effort to split from Spain. Any hint that
    the Spanish government would support the dissolution of a
    country into regional components would be sensitive
    politically and could embolden separatists. Therefore, Spain
    could not continue to support a mission to Kosovo. However,
    Zapatero allowed, Spain could have conducted more
    comprehensive consultations with the United States ahead of
    its withdrawal.

    ¶12. (U) The Office of the Vice President has cleared this
    message.
    SIMONS

`