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