SLOVAK THOUGHTS ON UPCOMING GAERC MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 001050

SIPDIS


FOR EUR/ERA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2014
TAGS: PREL LO EUN
SUBJECT: SLOVAK THOUGHTS ON UPCOMING GAERC MEETING

REF: A. STATE 244333


B. STATE 247288

Classified By: Ambassador Ronald Weiser for reason 1.4 (d).


1. (SBU) DCM hosted lunch 11/15 for the MFA's "CFSP" team:
Acting Director of the Division for European Affairs
Frantisek Ruzicka, COREPER Director Anna Turinicova, and
European Correspondent Lubomir Rehak. They discussed the
latest thinking on the China arms embargo, Turkish accession,
and Cuba, among other issues. On 11/16, poloff demarched
Rehak on the GAERC agenda items described in reftel.


2. (C) MEPP: Rehak agreed that Arafat's death presents new
opportunities to reinvigorate the Middle East Peace Process.
When told we hope EU governments will consider generous
contributions to the IFC PEP-MENA Facility, he said, "I think
they will."


3. (C) China: Ruzicka expressed the opinion that we will get
through the EU-China summit with the arms embargo intact.
Many countries, Slovakia included, have expressed serious
reservations about the still-undefined "toolbox" to
strengthen the code of conduct. However, momentum to lift
the embargo is strong within the EU. We will continue
demarching top Slovak officials per ref B.


4. (C) Kosovo: Rehak agreed that local
government/decentralization was crucial, but the question is
whether to allow "ethnic municipalities." Slovakia thinks it
would be appropriate to form such municipalities and to allow
Serbs to govern themselves, noting however that every
nationality represented in any muncipality must have the same
rights. He said Slovakia believes the EU must cooperate more
closely with the U.S. on Kosovo, since the U.S. influence is
very strong with the Albanians. He praised the U.S. position
on Macedonia as a "diplomatic and clever step of the U.S."
and an example of why the EU should consult more with the
U.S. on such issues. Rehak added that it would be
appropriate for the ICTY to try any indicted Albanians,
because up to now only Serbs have been tried.


5. (C) Belarus: Rehak agreed it would be most effective for
the US and EU to coordinate possible negative actions against
individuals in the Belarussian leadership, particularly the
issue of whether to add Lukashenko to the list of those to be
sanctioned. Slovakia wants to intensify dialog with
mid-level officials in government structures, many of whom
will likely remain in government even when Lukashenko is
gone. Slovakia wants to avoid inflaming relations, which
could result in even greater isolation of the citizens of
Belarus. For example, the Slovak MFA is providing a grant to
a Slovak NGO working in Belarus to strengthen civil society
and to get information out to the regions of Belarus. A
Slovak journalist misquoted an MFA official as characterizing
this program's aim to "democratize" Belarus. That misquote
resulted in a demarche from the Belarussian ambassador in
Bratislava, as well as the Slovak charge d'affaires being
called into the MFA in Minsk for scolding. In order to
ensure that this important people-to-people program can
continue, and that the Slovaks are not expelled from Belarus
or prevented from traveling in the future, the MFA must tread
carefully around the Belarussian government.


6. (C) Cyprus Aid and Trade: Rehak said Cypriot efforts to
block the aid and trade package for Turkish Cypriots would
"probably only be resolved December 17."


7. (C) Turkey: Foreign Minister Kukan visited Ankara November
10-11, and then cut the official part of the visit short to
fly with the Turkish PM to Yasser Arafat's funeral. The MFA
has drafted a position paper favoring the start of Turkish
accession talks, though it is intentionally vague on setting
the exact date and conditions under which to begin the talks,
in order to give PM Dzurinda the mandate and the flexibility
to adopt the common EU position on December 17. Furthermore,
it does not guarantee Turkish membership in the EU. MFA
officials are briefing Parliament November 19 about Kukan's
visit to Turkey and the MFA position paper. The paper has
been submitted to the inter-ministerial process; the cabinet
will discuss it November 24; it will go to Parliament for
discussion by the EU Committee on November 29; and then will
go to a plenary session of Parliament for approval.


8. (C) Rehak told poloff 11/19 that the Austrian FM had
dinner with Kukan "a couple days ago" and that they discussed
Turkey. However, there was "no special request" from Austria
regarding Slovakia's position on the issue. He also said
that the MFA was watching the policies of other member states
unfold, but that the Austrian opinion did not influence the
Slovak position.

WEISER


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