SLOVENIA: IMO BALLAST WATER TREATY

UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000092 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/NCE, OES/OA LONDON FOR US IMO PERMREP EVANS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EWWT PHSA SENV SI IMO SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: IMO BALLAST WATER TREATY REFTEL: A) LJUBLJANA 0069 B) SECSTATE 013847 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. ¶1. (SBU) ON 04 FEBRUARY, ECON SPECIALIST FOLLOWED UP REF A INQUIRY WITH BRANKO MAHNE, STATE UNDERSECRETARY AT THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, DETERMINING THE GOS POSITION ON REF B POINTS AND DRAFT PROPOSAL FOR A BALLAST WATER DISCHARGE STANDARD IN REGULATION D-2 OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF SHIPS' BALLAST WATER AND SEDIMENTS. UNOFFICIALLY, MAHNE REPORTED THAT "SLOVENIA WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE U.S. POSITION," BUT THAT HE COULD NOT OFFICIALLY SAY AS MUCH, SINCE THE "INTRA-MINISTERIAL PROCESS HAD NOT YET BEEN COMPLETED." (NOTE: THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT SOLICITS THE OPINION OF TWO FIELD EXPERTS, UNIVERSITY OF KOPER'S PROFESSORS DAVID AND PAVLIHA, TO FORMULATE ITS POSITION. END NOTE). ¶2. (SBU) COMMENT: WE EXPECT THE GOS OFFICIAL POSITION TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF OUR POSITION AS LONG AS IT IS LINE WITH OTHER EU MEMBERS STATES, SINCE THIS IS NOT A PRIORITY ISSUE FOR IT. END COMMENT. YOUNG NNNN