EU CHINA ARMS EMBARGO: JAPANESE DECLINE; SLOVAKS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000621 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2014 TAGS: PREL MARR CH JA LO EUN SUBJECT: EU CHINA ARMS EMBARGO: JAPANESE DECLINE; SLOVAKS LOOKING TO OTHER EU STATES REF: (A) STATE 137493 (B) PARIS 04843 CLASSIFIED BY: CHARGE ROBERT E. HURLBERT FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. JAPANESE POLOFFS IN BRATISLAVA DECLINED TO DEMARCHE WITH U.S. POLOFF REGARDING THE EU ARMS EMBARGO ON CHINA. THE SLOVAKS PRESENTED THEMSELVES AS NON-PLAYERS IN AN EU DEBATE, NOTING THAT "IMPORTANT EU MEMBERS" WILL MAKE THE DECISION. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) PER REFTEL A, POLOFF CONTACTED THE JAPANESE EMBASSY IN BRATISLAVA ON 25 JUNE. THE JAPANESE NOTED TOKYO CONSIDERED IT INAPPROPRIATE TO DELIVER A JOINT DEMARCHE. THEY EMPHASIZED JAPAN STILL AGREES WITH THE U.S. POSITION, BUT THEY DO NOT WANT TO APPEAR TO BE GANGING UP ON THE EUROPEANS AGAINST CHINA, CITING THE SAME REASONS AS IN REFTEL B. ¶3. (C) KAROL MISTRIK, DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OSCE AND DISARMAENT, MFA, SAID ON JUNE 25 THAT SLOVAKIA IS "FOLLOWING THE DISCUSSION" ON THE EU ARMS EMBARGO ON CHINA. SLOVAKIA IS "UNABLE TO SUPPORT OR NOT SUPPORT" THE U.S. POSITION, SINCE IMPORTANT EU MEMBERS ARE STRONGLY PROPOSING TO LIFT THE EMBARGO. HE NOTED THE EU IS A "MASTER OF COMPROMISE" AND WILL "FIND A SOLUTION." THE EU IS WORKING ON EXPORT CONTROLS AND WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO THREATEN THE TRANS-ATLANTIC PARTNERSHIP. HE CONSIDERED THE EU EXPORT CONTROLS STRIGENT AND RESPONSIBLE. (NOTE: SLOVAKIA WILL FOLLOW THE DECISION REACHED BY THE FRENCH, GERMANS, AND BRITISH. END NOTE.) ¶4. (C) MISTRIK COMMENTED ON THE U.S. POSITION PRESENTED IN TALKING POINTS. HE SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THE POSITION OF MORE RESTRICTIVE LICENSING REQUIREMENTS, BUT HE DID NOT FIND THE PROHIBITION OF U.S. PROCUREMENT OF EU DEFENSE MATERIALS A LOGICAL EXTENSION OF THE U.S. CONCERN. HURLBERT NNNN