AMBASSADOR'S INITIAL CALL ON PRESIDENT GASPAROVIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000636

SIPDIS


NSC FOR FRIED, WILSON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2119
TAGS: PREL PINR LO US
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S INITIAL CALL ON PRESIDENT GASPAROVIC

REF: STATE 124842

CLASSIFIED BY: AMB. RONALD WEISER FOR REASONS 1.4 B, D.


1. (C) AMBASSADOR, ACCOMPANIED BY DCM, CALLED ON RECENTLY
INAUGURATED PRESIDENT IVAN GASPAROVIC AT THE PRESIDENTIAL
PALACE JUNE 30. GASPAROVIC GREETED THE AMBASSADOR WARMLY,
THANKED HIM FOR HIS HARD WORK ON IMPROVING U.S.-SLOVAK
RELATIONS, AND EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THEY WOULD BE IN
FREQUENT COMMUNICATION. SPEAKING THROUGH AN INTERPRETER (HE
SEEMED TO GRASP LESS THAN 50% OF THE ENGLISH),HE NOTED THAT
HE HAD SPOKEN THREE TIMES WITH PRESIDENT BUSH AT ISTANBUL AND
BEEN MRS. BUSH'S DINNER PARTNER.


2. (C) ISTANBUL: AMB. WEISER RESPONDED THAT IT WAS
ESPECIALLY APPROPRIATE THAT THE FIRST MEETING HAD BEEN AT
NATO, GIVEN SLOVAKIA'S HARD WORK TO ENTER THE ALLIANCE AND
THE SYMBOLIC IMPORTANCE IT CONVEYED OF OUR DEEP AND CLOSE
OVERALL RELATIONSHIP. HE EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR
GASPAROVIC'S REMARKS THERE, ESPECIALLY ON ENHANCING DIALOGUE
WITH UKRAINE AND RUSSIA AND SUPPORTING THE IRAQ DECLARATION.
GASPAROVIC PRAISED THE TURKISH HOSTS' ORGANIZATION OF THE
SUMMIT AND THE "TOTAL CONSENSUS" ON IRAQ, BUT CRITICIZED
FRENCH PRESIDENT CHIRAC (AND TO A LESSER EXTENT GERMAN
CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER) FOR PREVENTING AN "APPROPRIATE" TEXT ON
AFGHANISTAN. HE NOTED THE IMPORTANCE OF MOVING AHEAD WITH
ELECTIONS THERE, AND SAID SLOVAKIA WAS CONSIDERING SENDING
MORE TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN.


3. (C) EU MEMBERSHIP: STATING "I'M NEITHER A EURO-SKEPTIC
NOR A BOOSTER," GASPAROVIC EXPRESSED CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM ABOUT
SLOVAKIA'S RECENT EU ENTRY, WHILE NOTING THAT "EUROPE CANNOT
FUNCTION WITHOUT A STRONG TRANS-ATLANTIC LINK." HE SAID HE
WOULD TAKE A CAUTIOUS STANCE TOWARDS THE EU, "FROM THE
ORDINARY CITIZENS' PERSPECTIVE", OF THEIR ECONOMIC
WELL-BEING. HE INDIRECTLY CRITICIZED THE NOTION OF A
TWO-SPEED EUROPE, POINTING TO THE UNFORTUNATE SLOVAK-CZECH
EXPERIENCE OF UNEQUAL DEVELOPMENT AND EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT
BRUSSELS "RED TAPE".


4. (C) RELATIONS WITH GOS: TURNING TO DOMESTIC ISSUES,
GASPAROVIC OBSERVED THAT ONGOING ECONOMIC REFORMS ARE
AFFECTING THE SLOVAK PEOPLE AND REQUIRE BETTER COORDINATION
SO THAT NEGATIVE IMPACTS ARE CONSIDERED AND MITIGATED. "I
HOPE NOT TO FIGHT WITH THE GOS, BUT RATHER TALK WITH THEM AND
FIND THE BEST SOLUTION FOR PEOPLE." THIS PROCESS HAS ALREADY
BEGUN IN THE FOREIGN POLICY ARENA -- HE HAS AGREED WITH PM
DZURINDA AND PARLIAMENT SPEAKER HRUSOVSKY TO CONSULT AND
COORDINATE "SO WE SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE." (COMMENT: PM'S
FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR CONFIRMED THIS ARRANGEMENT LATER IN
THE DAY. THIS IS WELCOME NEWS, ESPECIALLY IF HRUSOVSKY --
OFTEN LOOKING TO DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM DZURINDA -- GOES
ALONG.) GASPAROVIC SEEMED TO SUGGEST THAT HE HOPED TO PLAY
AN "HONEST BROKER" ROLE WITH THE OFTEN QUARRELSOME COALITION,
BUT NOTED THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO ENSURE EVERYONE SEES ENOUGH
OF THEIR POSITION IN THE FINAL OUTCOME TO BE ABLE TO DECLARE
VICTORY OR SATISFACTION. SLOVAK POLITICAL PARTIES, HE SAID,
NEED TO DEVELOP A GREATER SENSE OF NATIONAL GOOD OVER PARTY
GOOD.


5. (C) COMMENT: GASPAROVIC WAS AT EASE AND RELAXED IN THIS
FIRST MEETING, AND SEEMED GENUINELY INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING
A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U.S. HE READILY ACCEPTED AN
INVITATION TO ATTEND THE EMBASSY'S INDEPENDENCE DAY
CELEBRATION. IT IS CLEAR FROM HIS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
COMMENTS THAT HE HAS TRIED TO SET A DIFFERENT TONE IN HIS
RELATIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT THAN HIS PREDECESSOR. HE IS
ASSERTING HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO ATTEND CABINET
MEETINGS, BUT IS NOT ENGAGING IN COMPETITIVE DEBRIEFINGS OF
THE PRESS OR PUBLIC DISPUTES OVER POLICY. WE HAVE BEEN
HEARING VERY POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM FOREIGN MINISTRY CONTACTS
ABOUT BOTH HIS APPROACH TO ISSUES AND HIS HANDS-OFF APPROACH
TO SENIOR APPOINTMENTS (WHICH HAD VEXED SLOVAK DIPLOMACY
ABROAD UNDER FORMER PRESIDENT SCHUSTER). HE HAS MADE A POINT
OF LIMITING PERSONNEL CHANGES TO A FEW KEY ADVISORS, KEEPING
ON THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE EXPERIENCED STAFF. IT IS, OF
COURSE, STILL EARLY DAYS -- STRAINS WITHIN THE COALITION AND
ITS PARLIAMENTARY MINORITY AND THE STILL-UNCLEAR EXTENT OF
HIS TIES TO OPPOSITION LEADER FICO MAY LEAD TO GREATER
ASSERTIVENESS IN THE FUTURE.
WEISER

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