SLOVAKS ON AUSTRALIA GROUP AND NPT CONFERENCES

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000272

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

STATE FOR NP/CBM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC LO
SUBJECT: SLOVAKS ON AUSTRALIA GROUP AND NPT CONFERENCES

REF: (A) STATE 49648 (B) STATE 56903 (C) BRATISLAVA 209

Australia Group
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1. (U) Poloff delivered reftel demarches March 31 to Karol
Mistrik, Director of the MFA's Department of Disarmament,
OSCE, and Counter-Terrorism, and his deputy, Henrik Markus.
Mistrik confirmed he will lead the delegation to Sydney,
accompanied by representatives from the Ministries of
Economy, Interior, and Defense as well a representative of
the Customs Directorate. The Slovak delegation is preparing
three presentations for the conference to "contribute to the
common knowledge and experience." These will include a
presentation on information exchanges, a Customs/Ministry of
Economy-led discussion of law enforcement issues, and a
possible third presentation on handling of classified
information. Mistrik said the third presentation would be a
practical "how to" presentation on implementing classified
information laws while working with multilateral export
control regimes. (NOTE: Mistrik mentioned at a previous
meeting that the GOS clearly understood and accepted the U.S.
call to participate more actively at AG plenary sessions --
ref C. He suggested the GOS is following up on its previous
pledge to participate actively in Sydney.)

NPT Conference
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2. (U) MFA State Secretary, Magdalena Vasaryova, will lead
the Slovak delegation to New York for the NPT Conference.
The delegation will include representatives from the Nuclear
Regulatory Authority, the Disarmament Department at the MFA,
the Slovak representation in New York, and the Slovak
representation to the Arms Control IOs in Vienna. Slovak
participants will alternate, staying in New York for one week
at a time.


3. (SBU) Mistrik voiced concern that the lack of a firmly
agreed upon agenda would stifle the effectiveness of the
conference. He predicted the first days of the conference
would be wasted with debates over the discussion's emphasis
rather than on substance. The GOS has divided its positions
into matters of EU responsibility and matters of national
prerogative. The Nuclear Regulatory Authority plans to
discuss technical matters concerning the use of nuclear
energy. Political positions at the conference will follow FM
Kukan's March 17 comments at the Conference of Disarmament
(faxed to NP/CBM) focusing on nonproliferation and the need
to keep states within the NPT framework. Mistrik urged
concrete steps from all states to make the NPT succeed. He
said the NPT has been in stagnation since 1996; only a
reinvigorated NPT framework can produce progress on
nonproliferation goals.
THAYER


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