FOREIGN MINISTER'S SECURITY CLEARANCE

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000504 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINR LO SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER'S SECURITY CLEARANCE RECONFIRMED ¶1. THE NATIONAL SECURITY OFFICE (NBU) HAS REVIEWED AND CONFIRMED FOREIGN MINISTER EDUARD KUKAN'S SECURITY CERTIFICATE. DURING KUKAN'S UNSUCCESSFUL PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN EARLIER THIS YEAR, AN ANONYMOUS LETTER WAS SENT TO THE SLOVAK PRESS, CLAIMING THAT KUKAN HAD WORKED FOR THE COMMUNIST-ERA SECRET POLICE (STB). ¶2. COMMENT: THE ALLEGATIONS ALMOST CERTAINLY WERE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED AS KUKAN HAD BEEN THE FRONTRUNNER IN THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN AND IT IS LIKELY THAT HIS OPPONENTS SOUGHT TO REDUCE HIS CHANCES IN THE ELECTION. WHILE KUKAN RECEIVED A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH FROM THE NBU, THE CASE COULD BE REOPENED IN THE FUTURE AS THE INSTITUTE OF NATIONAL MEMORY HAS ONE STB FILE REGISTERED FOR KUKAN, BUT CANNOT ACCESS IT AT THIS TIME BECAUSE THE FILE IS IN THE CZECH ARCHIVES. WEISER NNNN