GOS REPONSE TO AUSTRALIA GROUP DEMARCHES

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000209 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2015 TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC LO SUBJECT: GOS REPONSE TO AUSTRALIA GROUP DEMARCHES REF: (A) STATE 41247 (B) STATE 36488 (C) STATE 39371 Classified By: CDA Scott N. Thayer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarches March 14 to Karol Mistrik, Director of the Department of Disarmament, OSCE, and Council of Europe at the MFA. Mistrik said the GOS is forming its delegation for the April 18-22 Australia Group (AG) plenary and understood clearly the U.S. call for more active participation at these meetings. Mistrik will lead Slovakia's AG delegation with representatives from the Ministries of Interior, Economy, and Defense. Mistrik said the GOS is just beginning to formulate its priorities for the plenary and voiced appreciation for the U.S. papers so far in advance of the meeting. Mistrik said his Department would continue to formulate its AG priorities as more countries delivered their own demarches, but he did not expect competing priorities to arise. THAYER NNNN