SLOVAKIA TO FOLLOW EU POSITION ON NSNW

S E C R E T BRATISLAVA 000723 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/2014 TAGS: PREL PARM MARR LO NATO UNGA SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA TO FOLLOW EU POSITION ON NSNW REF: STATE 163889 Classified By: DCM Scott Thayer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (S) Poloff met with Rastislav Gabriel of the Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Division of the Department of OSCE and Disarmament in the MFA on 29 July, per reftel. Gabriel said that Slovakia does not consider itself a major player on this matter and expects to follow the larger states' lead. Slovakia will wait for the EU discussion to formulate a position on Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons (NSNW). He noted that Slovakia abstained last year on the same resolution and would likely do the same this year. Slovakia is generally in favor of the Japanese resolution favoring total nuclear disarmament. Gabriel labeled the Japanese proposal the "most realistic" of the nuclear disarmament options. Gabriel expects the Slovak decision to develop out of an EU roundtable at the UNGA or an EU working group on global disarmament in Brussels. ¶2. (S) When asked if Slovakia would consider this security issue in a NATO context and forum, Gabriel hedged describing Slovakia as wedged between NATO and the EU. Gabriel did not expect a NATO consensus to develop. He noted that Slovakia does not want to see this issue distract next May's NPT Review from considering other nonproliferation issues that have a greater chance of real action. WEISER NNNN