DZURINDA: FEELING GOOD ABOUT THE USA

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000583 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/14/2014 TAGS: PREL PINR LO SUBJECT: DZURINDA: FEELING GOOD ABOUT THE USA CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR RONALD WEISER FOR REASON 1.4 (B). ¶1. (SBU) PRIME MINISTER MIKULAS DZURINDA CAME TO THE EMBASSY THE EVENING OF JUNE 10 TO SIGN THE CONDOLENCE BOOK FOR RONALD REAGAN. DZURINDA AND THE AMBASSADOR USED THE OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT THE STRONG TIES AND POSITIVE FEELINGS BETWEEN SLOVAKIA AND THE UNITED STATES. DZURINDA TOLD THE AMBASSADOR, AND LATER THE PRESS, THAT REAGAN WAS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FALL OF COMMUNISM AND THE REINTEGRATION OF EUROPE. HE INSCRIBED THE CONDOLENCE BOOK, "WE MOURN THE LOSS OF A GREAT STATESMAN WHO HELPED US WIN OUR FREEDOM. GOD BLESS THE GIPPER! WITH DEEPEST CONDOLENCES, MIKULAS DZURINDA." ¶2. (SBU) THE AMBASSADOR GAVE DZURINDA PHOTOS FROM THE NATO ACCESSION CEREMONIES. HE EXPRESSED PARTICULAR PRIDE THAT U.S. PRESIDENT BUSH AND SLOVAK PM DZURINDA WERE TOGETHER IN THE CENTER OF THE GROUP. ¶3. (C) THE AMBASSADOR REITERATED U.S. CONDOLENCES ON THE JUNE 8 SLOVAK CASUALTIES IN IRAQ. DZURINDA ALSO EXPRESSED HIS SORROW. ON A POSITIVE NOTE IN IRAQ, DZURINDA WAS VERY PLEASED ABOUT THE UNSC RESOLUTION. HE SAID UNANIMOUS PASSAGE WAS A CREDIT TO PRESIDENT BUSH. THE AMBASSADOR THANKED DZURINDA FOR SLOVAKIA'S HELP AND SUPPORT. ¶4. (C) DZURINDA COMMENTED ON SMER LEADER ROBERT FICO'S "UNFORTUNATE STATEMENTS" TO THE PRESS, WHICH CRITICIZED SLOVAKIA'S PRO-U.S. FOREIGN POLICY (SEPTEL). DZURINDA SAID IT WAS RIDICULOUS TO CALL SLOVAKIA AN ISLAND OF AMERICAN INFLUENCE. ¶5. (C) DZURINDA WAS VISIBLY MOVED AS HE SPOKE ABOUT RONALD REAGAN'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FALL OF COMMUNISM, AND EXUDED POSITIVE FEELINGS ABOUT THE UNITED STATES. AFTER DZURINDA GAVE CREDIT TO REAGAN FOR CENTRAL EUROPE'S SUCCESS, THE AMBASSADOR TOLD HIM HE ALSO DESERVED A GREAT DEAL OF CREDIT FOR THE REFORMS THAT CARRIED SLOVAKIA FORWARD. IN TURN, DZURINDA THANKED THE AMBASSADOR FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO SLOVAKIA'S SUCCESS. WEISER NNNN