SLOVAKIA: DEMARCHE ON UN REFORM AGENDA

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000468

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/17/2015
TAGS: PREL LO UN UNSC
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA: DEMARCHE ON UN REFORM AGENDA

REF: A. STATE 11637

B. STATE 11657

Classified By: CDA Scott N. Thayer for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: On June 17, Charge delivered
reftel points to Magda Vasaryova, State Secretary at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Vasaryova explained the UN's
historical and "sentimental" importance to Slovakia, and
reinforced Slovakia's strong support for the UN reform agenda
outlined by the USG. She was well-versed on current UN
issues, and explained that she has been "globetrotting" to
try to feel out other countries' positions on UN reform and
to prepare for Slovakia's 2006-7 UNSC seat. Slovakia is
currently supporting Germany and Japan for permanent seats on
the UNSC, though Vasaryova said that Slovakia is under "huge
pressure" from other countries seeking permanent Security
Council (UNSC) seats -- particularly Italy. As supportive as
Slovakia is of Security Council reforms, she said that
Slovakia hopes that the reform process will not stop with the
Security Council, but will continue beyond the UNSC to the
secretariat and other organs as well. END SUMMARY AND

SIPDIS
COMMENT.

SLOVAKIA AND THE UN: A LONG, SENTIMENTAL STORY
-------------- -


2. (C) Charge and Poloff (notetaker) delivered reftel
points to MFA State Secretary Magda Vasaryova on June 17.
Vasaryova, who returned earlier this week from a working
visit to Russia, explained that her recent travels to
Washington, Russia, China, and elsewhere, have been an
attempt to try to start gaining information and experience on
UN issues before Slovakia assumes its UNSC seat in January

2006. Slovakia places a great deal of importance on the UN,
she explained, in part because of "sentimental" reasons. She
noted a Slovak diplomat signed the UN Charter as a
representative of Czechoslovakia in 1945, as well as the work
of a Slovak diplomat who served as a close advisor to former
UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold before perishing with
him in the 1961 plane crash in Rhodesia.

SLOVAKIA SUPPORTS REFORM THROUGHOUT THE UN...
--------------


3. (C) Vasaryova told Charge that in today's world, there
cannot be peace without "a modern and efficient UN."
Slovakia wants the UN to work and agrees that there is a
definite need for reforms, and this is another reason that
Vasaryova has spent "many hours" in foreign capitals recently
speaking with governments about their positions on the UN.
The State Secretary told Charge that Slovakia "will support
every activity to make the UN a much more flexible,
transparent organization" and that it is supportive of USG
efforts on such topics as the Peacebuilding Commission and
the reform of the Committee for Human Rights. She noted,
however, that Slovakia is afraid that the reform agenda will
not end up extending beyond the Security Council.

...AND JAPAN AND GERMANY FOR PERMANENT UNSC SEATS
-------------- --------------


4. (C) Officially, Slovakia has expressed its support for
Germany and Japan, though Vasaryova said that the support for
Germany was more of a "gesture" to encourage Germany to take
additional responsibility in the region and the world, and
that they support Japan "so Germany is not alone." Vasaryova
said that Slovakia has been getting "huge pressure" from
other countries, most notably Italy, regarding the UNSC
expansion.


5. (C) Vasaryova also pointed out that even though Slovakia
is now a member of NATO and the EU, Slovakia still sees a
need for the eastern European bloc at the UN, as it affords
Slovakia the "space" to adequately work through issues with
its neighbors, and that she is afraid that being lumped in
with the western European states would not allow them this
lebensraum.
THAYER


NNNN