AMBASSADOR AGUIRRE SPEECH AT EUROPA PRESS NEWS BREAKFAST

June 5, 2007

Thank you, Asís and Ángel, for inviting me to participate in this discussion. It is a pleasure to be here and have the opportunity to speak once again about relations between Spain and the U.S. in general, and in particular about Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s visit to Madrid last Friday.

I would be lying if I said that last Friday was a normal day for me or for the Embassy. The Secretary of State’s visit was important for both the U.S. and Spain. She was received in Madrid by His Majesty the King and by the top Spanish governmental and political leadership. Every meeting was productive, substantive, frank and meticulous, and the atmosphere was cordial at all times. Each interlocutor showed a desire to discuss, or rather, to talk and to listen. The visit reflected relations that are more than normal, they are excellent. I can say that because I was with the Secretary throughout the day and at every meeting.

But I must say that my recollection and impression of the visit does not totally coincide with assessments made afterwards.

The next day I read the newspapers, watched the TV and looked at the news on the Internet. After reading all that, I got to wondering whether I had spend the night before in a time machine. Reports on the visit uniformly reflected something that was far from what I experienced. What happened? ¿How is it that the public perception of the visit does not match my own observation?

I can assure you that this public perception does not coincide with my recollection of the visit in general or with any meetings in particular. Of course, anyone who analyses the visit is free to accent the areas of agreement, …or of disagreement. I know that differences of opinion are always more interesting than where there is agreement.

Today I am going to be so bold as to offer my own version of the facts. I apologize to those who have already made up their minds and may find themselves confused by reality.

First, let’s put the visit in a proper perspective. One of my Government’s leading members met with Spain’s most important leaders and, by definition, that makes the visit important. However, last Friday does not mark a “new beginning” in our bilateral relations, but rather accents their continuity. Both governments have been working together effectively for a long time, and doing so in many more areas than those where there are well known discrepancies.
This was Secretary Rice’s and Minister Moratinos’ first meeting in Spain. The location of a meeting is significant, but not decisive in terms of the importance or the benefit of the meeting. They had meet previously on many occasions; and always addressed matters of similar importance to those discussed during this trip.

Counter to what has been said, Secretary Rice is not the first presidential cabinet member or high U.S. government official to visit Spain since the 2004 elections. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has visited Madrid twice; Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and FBI Director Robert Mueller, have all made official visits to Spain during my tenure here. Last month DEA Administrator Karen Tandy was in Madrid to attend the first International Drug Enforcement Conference held outside the Americas. Senior officials of both governments meet regularly in our respective capitals.

All these meetings point to the solid basis of common objectives and joint efforts to achieve them which characterizes our relationship.

On this occasion, the talks covered a very broad range of matters of mutual interest to the U.S. and Spain:

1. Terrorism
2. Drug Trafficking
3. Military Cooperation
4. NATO
5. Afghanistan
6. Middle East
7. Syria
8. The future of Iraq
9. North Africa
10. Consular Affairs
11. Trade and Investment
12. Latin America in general
13. Cuba and Venezuela in particular.

There was agreement on all the above points … except one! As we already know, Spain and the United States are not in full agreement over Cuba. I hope this does not surprise any one here … because it has not exactly been kept a deep, dark secret.

A major part of the meetings dealt with Cuba. Each side expressed its opinions on the most appropriate strategy regarding Cuba, and the best way to bring about a democratic transition on the island, along with our common desires to communicate with the dissidents.

For our part, the Secretary of State was very clear. We are not optimistic that after half a century in power the Cuban dictatorship is going to start to take steps towards democracy. We expressed our concern over a post-Fidel Castro succession of an authoritarian regime into another dictatorial period with the same surname. And we feel it is of utmost importance to give moral support and aid to Cuban dissidents.

Minister Moratinos reminded us that we share the same objective: a democratic future for Cuba. At the meetings, the two sides coincided in our desire to see a free, democratic Cuba that respects human rights. We did not disagree in that it includes supporting the dissidents working inside Cuba to achieve a democratic transition.

The visit underlined the matters on which we agree. On the many other points discussed, we found, without exception, that we shared the same values and objectives.

At the press conference, for example, both Secretary Rice and Minister Moratinos condemned the closing of Radio Caracas Televisión in Venezuela, and expressed their concern over the path being taken by freedom of speech in that country.

We spoke about Afghanistan and how its future has deep implications for the security of our respective countries.

We spoke of the importance of NATO efforts to put an end to violence in Afghanistan and help rebuild the country. The U.S. has devoted major resources –military, economic and political— to helping to put an end to the Taliban dictatorship and Al Qaeda terrorist activities, and to building a better future for the Afghan people. We recalled that both of our countries, as NATO allies, have devoted our most precious treasure to the future of Afghanistan: the lives of many of our military women and men. Of course, much remains to be done in Afghanistan, and we are going to do it together with all the members of the Atlantic Alliance.

The visit covered many more areas on which we agree. I will briefly review some of them. We agree on efforts to go forward in the quest for peace in the Middle East. The Secretary of State took note specifically of Minister Moratinos’ valuable knowledge on that region of the world, and greatly appreciated his counsel regarding the Middle East.

We talked about how we were reinforcing our already extensive anti-terrorism and anti-drug cooperation.

So, as I said, you can decide to accent the areas of disagreement or those of agreement. As far as I am concerned, you have my word that we discussed many more things on which we agree than on which we disagree, and that we acknowledged that the most important thing for the future is to focus our joint efforts to bring us closer to our common goals. After all, the United States and Spain are two of the world’s major democracies, and that fact is the keystone of our relations and our alliance.

I think that an objective review of where the policies of the U.S. and Spain coincide and where they are differ will show the solidity of the partnership between our two countries. Our diplomatic relations reflect a constant, healthy dialogue between governments, that have different perspectives on occasions, but share common goals and values.

And, if you will permit, I will add only one more aspect, which I consider important, but which I didn’t hear last week: Secretary Rice’s extraordinary personal history, a story that says a lot about what is good and praiseworthy in the U.S. society. She was born into a humble family. Her father was a protestant minister and her mother a schoolteacher. She grew up in the U.S. South during the era of racial segregation, discrimination and hostility, a shameful legacy of my country.

But Condoleezza Rice triumphed over these difficulties through her talent, intelligence, tenacity and rectitude. Her life is filled with countless artistic, academic and political achievements. She has won the respect and admiration of her fellow Americans.

As an immigrant, I also have learned something in my life regarding the opportunities that the U.S. society offers its citizens –born or naturalized –, so I especially value her personal achievements.

Over the past two years, our Embassy, under instructions from my government, has worked tirelessly in Spain to strengthen the ties between our two countries.

I am happy that we have so many different points of mutual interest, and potential discrepancy. It is no surprise to me that as soon as we get over one issue, another one presents itself to be dealt with, and resolved!

I am sure – and I hope this is the way Spaniards feel – that our relations are much better, warmer and more productive than they were two or three years ago. I am optimistic that we can do a great deal by working together, with mutual trust, respect and esteem.

Following Secretary Rice’s excellent visit, reflected in the favorable comments that she and I shared on the way back to the Torrejon, I am more eager than ever to keep working in and with Spain to advance our common interests.
 

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