TANK SALES TO AZERBAIJAN

S E C R E T BRATISLAVA 001153 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2014 TAGS: PARM MARR PREL LO AR AZ SUBJECT: TANK SALES TO AZERBAIJAN REF: STATE 265976 Classified By: CDA Scott Thayer for reasons 1.5(b) and (d) ¶1. (S) Charge delivered reftel demarche December 22 to Lubomir Pinter, Director General for International Organizations and Security Policy at the MFA, and in a separate meeting December 22 to Milan Cigan, Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Economy (MOE). Both said Azerbaijan and Armenia are not where Slovakia wants to sell its excess weapons. MFA and MOE interlocutors said they have not been approached about such a sale, and the MFA would have a veto in denying an export license. ¶2. (S) Pinter said he took note of the Hungarian decision to transfer T-72 tanks to Iraq and has advised FM Kukan that the GOS should do the same. Pinter described this as within Slovak foreign policy interests and expressed appreciation for USG offers to help faciltate such a transfer. He said the GOS would have to decide whether to sell or donate this equipment. THAYER NNNN