SLOVENIA: ARTICLE 98 FOLLOW-UP

UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000429 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR T, P, EUR/NCE, NP, PM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MASS MARR PREL SI SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: ARTICLE 98 FOLLOW-UP REF: A. SECSTATE 101244 ¶B. 03 LJUBLJANA 1166 ¶1. (U) DCM, ACCOMPANIED BY POL-MILOFF AND ODC CHIEF, DELIVERED REFTEL TALKING POINTS TO MFA STATE SECRETARY FOR MULTILATERAL AFFAIRS SAMUEL ZBOGAR ON 10 MAY. ZBOGAR, ACCOMPANIED BY STAFF ASSISTANT MATEJ MARN AND NORTH AMERICA DESK OFFICER GREGOR KOZOVINC, WAS GRATEFUL TO HEAR THAT IMET FUNDS WOULD BE RELEASED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FISCAL YEAR. HE COMMENTED THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE SLOVENIAN ARMED FORCES (SAF) SCHEDULED FOR MILITARY TRAINING IN THE UNITED STATES WOULD BE ESPECIALLY THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD OF THEM. ¶2. (U) WITH RESPECT TO AN ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENT, ZBOGAR FIRST STRESSED THE SLOVENES' CONFIDENCE IN THE USG'S ABILITY TO PROSECUTE CRIMES COMMITTED BY U.S. CITIZENS, NOTING THE ROME TREATY PREFERENCE FOR SOVEREIGN ARRANGEMENTS. HE THEN EXPRESSED HOPE THAT THE U.S. WOULD SOME DAY "SEE MERIT IN SUPPORTING OR POSSIBLY JOINING THE ICC." ADMITTING THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS AT MFA RECENTLY ABOUT SIGNING AN ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENT, ZBOGAR REFERRED TO AN EARLIER ROUND OF CONSULTATIONS THAT YIELDED A PROPOSAL FOR AN AGREEMENT COMPATIBLE WITH BOTH THE ICC STATUTE AND EU GUIDELINES. DCM TOLD ZBOGAR THAT THE USG "NEEDS MORE" THAN THE GOS INITIALLY OFFERED. ZBOGAR SAID THE GOS REMAINS "OPEN TO FINDING A SOLUTION." ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: IN CHARACTERISTICALLY DIPLOMATIC STYLE, ZBOGAR LEFT OPEN THE POSSIBILITY FOR FURTHER DIALOGUE ON ARTICLE 98 BUT INDICATED CLEARLY THAT ANY AGREEMENT WOULD HAVE TO BE CONCLUDED WITHIN EU GUIDELINES. AS WE HAVE REPORTED IN THE PAST, SLOVENIA IS MOST UNLIKELY TO BREAK RANKS WITH ITS FELLOW EU MEMBER STATES ON THIS ISSUE, AS FOMIN RUPEL TOLD A/S BLOOMFIELD WHEN THEY DISCUSSED THE ISSUE LAST NOVEMBER (REF B). END COMMENT YOUNG NNNN