SLOVAKIA NOT PREPARED TO COMMIT AT FORCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000804 SIPDIS FOR PM/RSAT AND PMAT E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2014 TAGS: PREL OPDC MOPS MARR IZ PL LO SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA NOT PREPARED TO COMMIT AT FORCE GENERATION CONFERENCE REF: STATE 185525 Classified By: CDA Scott N. Thayer for reason 1.4(a) and (d). ¶1. (C) Charge demarched FM Eduard Kukan 8/31 on reftel points. Kukan had already received the points from another source (NFI). He said that Slovakia would maintain its current troop commitment, and was aware of Slovak MOD attendance at the Warsaw conference, but did not know of any intention to offer additional troops. ¶2. (C) DATT raised the points 8/31 with the MOD interim director for International Affairs, who said Slovakia's representatives to the conference were not authorized to make any additional commitments. ¶3. (C) Comment: When Defense Minister Juraj Liska traveled to Baghdad last week, he was informed by the Polish Sector Commander of the Polish intent to decrease its troop commitment and urged to provide additional resources. However, it is too soon to expect any new commitments from the Slovaks. Any change in the deployment or increase in troops would require a new Parliamentary mandate, which would be difficult to obtain in the current political climate. THAYER NNNN