SLOVAKIA SEEKS "BALANCED" EU POSITION ON CROATIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 001076

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV KAWC EU HR LO ICTY
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA SEEKS "BALANCED" EU POSITION ON CROATIA

REF: STATE 254097

Classified By: DCM Scott N. Thayer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) POLEC Chief delivered reftel demarche to the MFA
European Correspondent Lubomir Rehak on November 30. Rehak
said the MFA had sent its delegation in Brussels "a different
instruction" on November 29. Slovakia thinks the draft
language being circulated on ICTY conditionality is "too
strong," and would like to see a more balanced review of
Croatia's progress. Slovakia will insist on compliance with
the ICTY, but does not want Carla del Ponte's word to be the
sole decision-making factor on Croatia's progress. Croatia
is doing well in other spheres and can serve as a good
example for other Balkan states.


2. (C) Rehak agreed on the importance of a united front
between the U.S. and EU and suggested the Slovak position
"could change."


3. (C) Rehak said that Slovakia was not convinced a hard-line
approach was the most effective way to win cooperation with
ICTY. He shared an informal paper on KOSOVO (the Slovak
contribution to the analysis of SITCEN GS of the Council),
highlighting the idea that the arrrest of Ramush Haradinaj in
KOSOVO would send a signal to other Balkan countries that the
ICTY wasn't targeting only certain nations. Public
perception against sending other indictees to the Hague
(Mladic, Gotovina) could be softened. Partial text follows
(entire paper faxed to EUR/NCE):

"The situation in KOSOVO and in the all-Serbian context could
be significantly influenced by the realization of Carla del
Ponte's notified intention to issue a warrant on several
k/Albanians, above all Ramush Haradinaj. There is no need to
be afraid of this step despite threats that Pristina is
distributing around the whole world; there is no threat of a
national uprising and the smaller organized riots can be
handled by KFOR. Television broadcasting of the trial with
Haradinaj would, similarly as the Milosevic trial in Serbia,
contribute to revealing ways the radicals were "fighting" for
independence of KOSOVO and naturally, in the public opinion
the radicals would slide to the margin of public life. It
can be assumed that a trial with Haradinaj would also
significantly contribute to Belgrade's willingness to
extradite Ratko Mladic and the Serbian "KOSOVO" generals to
the Hague. Undoubtedly, the Serbian public stance on KOSOVO
would improve, bringing more willingness to resolving its
status."
WEISER


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