SCENESETTER FOR IO A/S SILVERBERG VISIT TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BRATISLAVA 000140

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR IO A/S SILVERBERG AND IO/UNP EBROWN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL UN UNSC LO
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR IO A/S SILVERBERG VISIT TO
BRATISLAVA

REF: BROWN-LYONS SIPRNET E-MAILS

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY

SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION
--------------


1. (SBU) Welcome to Slovakia. The Embassy -- and moreover,
the Slovaks -- are pleased to welcome you and IO/UNP DepDir
Ed Brown to Bratislava March 3-7. Your visit will help us
institutionalize the already strong cooperation we enjoy with
Slovakia within the UN Security Council (UNSC),as well as in
NATO and the EU. Slovakia has not been unwilling to part
ways on certain issues with larger, older member states to
enhance its relations with the U.S. and pursue its
Transatlantic interests. Within the UNSC, Slovakia worked
hard to prepare itself for the challenges of Council
membership, deploying additional diplomats to New York and
shoring up its presence in regions where it is admittedly
underrepresented, such as Africa. While Slovakia considers
itself "ready" for the two year seat, it is also mindful of
the challenges it faces and is willing and ready to work with
the United States here, in New York, and in Washington on
issues where the U.S. has more experience. In this regard,
your visit will have very real positive impact on U.S. -
Slovak cooperation, as the Slovaks crave not only a strong
relationship with the U.S., but U.S. mentoring as well. The
confidence that Slovakia gains through such interactions
serves as a "force multiplier" for U.S. transformational
diplomacy goals, as Slovakia then feels encouraged to voice
its positions -- which more times than not echo U.S. goals --
in international fora.


2. (SBU) Since 1998, Slovakia has gone from being what
Madeleine Albright once termed "the black hole of Europe" to
the "Tatra Tiger". NATO and EU membership were the focal
points of the Slovak government and people and served as the
engine of reform, and Slovakia engaged in a remarkable sprint
(with U.S. and other donor support) to reach both those goals
in the spring of 2004. Slovakia now feels proud, and indeed
compelled, to share this democratization and reform
experience abroad, particularly in areas where it feels it
has a "niche capability:" Ukraine, Belarus, and the western
Balkans. The GOS works hand in hand with Slovak NGOs to
accomplish this goal, and Slovakia stands with the U.S. on
the vanguard of freedom and democracy abroad. However,
despite their good intentions, Slovakia remains more hesitant
than we would prefer to speak up in most NATO and EU
meetings; we hope you will take the opportunity to
congratulate Slovakia on its international role and encourage
them to speak more freely when "at the table" in Brussels and
New York.

INTERNAL POLITICS
--------------


3. (SBU) Prime Minister Dzurinda heads what remains of a
four-party coalition government that -- after the recent
defection of one partner -- faces early elections June 17.
It has long since lost its majority and relied upon the
goodwill of independent deputies to continue its program. It
had earlier lost the pro-market, culturally liberal ANO party
parted ways with the coalition in August 2005, when its
leader, Pavol Rusko, was removed as Minister of Economy
following a financial scandal.


4. (SBU) All parties, including coalition members, are
acutely aware of the fragility of Dzurinda's position so it
will be important to recognize the contributions that all
governing parties and members of parliament have made in
implementing Slovakia's successful reform program.
Opposition parties once critical of Dzurinda's close
relationship with the U.S. tell us that, for the moment, they
do not plan on bringing the strong Transatlantic relationship
into the political fray, either positively or negatively.

FOREIGN POLICY
--------------


5. (SBU) Dzurinda (and most of Slovakia in general) is
instinctively pro-American, and he has sealed his legacy as
the Prime Minister who reintegrated Slovakia into European
and transatlantic structures. NATO accession in March 2004
and EU accession in May 2004 were the result of the
aggressive foreign policy and internal reform program during
Dzurinda's first (1999-2002) and second (2002-2006) terms.
In March 2004, Dzurinda hosted the "Bratislava II" conference
to encourage other European and Eurasian countries on their

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paths to modernization. President Bush's February 2005 visit
to Bratislava solidified the sense of accomplishment for both
the government and the people, and remains a point of pride
for Slovakia.


6. (SBU) The Dzurinda government has been steadfast in its
military commitments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkans,
and maintains peacekeepers in UN PKO's around the world.
Slovakia's deployments to OIF, OEF, and KFOR underscore its
commitment to the war on terror. Slovakia is contributing
roughly 650 troops to military operations around the world --
a number that is high in relation to the population of the
country -- and is now shifting away from (often reimbursable)
UN peacekeeping operations towards NATO-, EU-, and U.S.-led
operations.


7. (SBU) Slovakia often agrees with U.S. foreign policy
objectives, but is rarely an outspoken actor in international
institutions. With its term on the UNSC, as well as through
its membership in both NATO and the EU, our challenge is
encouraging the Slovaks to play a more active role in
formulating policies in these organizations. The GOS sees
its niche in policy toward the Balkans and its Eastern
neighbors (Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova). It has been and
can be very helpful both through formal government channels
and through NGO activities helping to build civil society.
Most recently, Slovak Political Director Ambassador Miroslav
Lajcak was named EU "facilitator" to organize the Montenegrin
referendum.

SLOVAKIA AT THE UNSC: THE STORY SO FAR
--------------


8. (SBU) Slovak priorities in the UNSC are, in many ways,
similar to the U.S.: Slovakia is bullish on reform efforts,
non-proliferation, and counterterrorism issues. The Dzurinda
government's pro-U.S. stance extends to the Council chambers,
where the GOS wanted to "hit the ground running" and continue
the work begun by its predecessor in the Council, Romania.
In response to Embassy demarches and engagement, the GOS is
engaged, inquisitive, and in many cases thirsty for
additional information from Washington regarding issues and
approaches to the Council agenda. Slovakia has expressed
support for the expansion of the Security Council, and has
backed Germany and Japan for permanent seats.


9. (SBU) Within its UN reform agenda, Slovakia has four
main reform priorities: the establishment of the
peacebuilding commission (PBC),the creation of the Human
Rights Council (HRC),management reform, and ECOSOC reform.


10. (SBU) Slovakia has publicly and privately outlined its
UNSC policy agenda as follows: regionally, its priorities
are the Western Balkans (specifically Kosovo status),Cyprus,
Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Substantively, Slovakia
focuses on counter-terrorism and non-proliferation, and
desires to carry on the initiatives started by Romania
regarding contacts between the UNSC and regional
organizations as outlined in UNSC Resolution 1631. Slovakia
has also outlined its "values" agenda, identifying respect
for democratic principles, human rights, the rule of law, and
good governance as its priority topics.


11. (SBU) In brief, Slovakia has been fully supportive of
our reform agenda, feels the Peacebuilding Commission is
"needed desperately," has committed itself politically and
financially to the UN Democracy Fund, and continues to focus
the attention of both governmental and non-governmental
entities towards the democratic transition process.


12. (SBU) Slovak diplomats have told us in the past about
the handicap they suffered during the country's split with
the Czech Republic, as many seasoned Slovak diplomats chose
to remained in Prague and continue their careers there. The
GOS therefore sees UNSC membership as a chance to both raise
their international profile and cement their position as a
uniquely-suited exporter of democracy; any public
congratulation of their efforts only encourages more action
on their part. For the U.S., Slovakia's two year tenure on
the UNSC is win-win.


13. (SBU) We have engaged the Slovaks on the general issue
of applying international sanctions to change a government's
behavior. The Slovaks are frustrated with those EU members
opposed in principle to the application of sanctions.
Slovakia is ready to impose "targeted" sanctions as a
legitimate tool, and are willing to argue this point within
EU councils. The Slovaks, however, do not support more

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general sanctions (e.g., in the potential case of Iran or
Syria).

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENT
--------------


14. (SBU) Slovakia has been called an investors' paradise
and it is now poised to become a regional economic power,
especially in the automotive industry. Reforms have made
Slovakia an economic success story and captured the attention
of policymakers and businesspeople around the world.
Cumulative foreign direct investment has quintupled in the
past five years and American companies are the third largest
investors. U.S. Steel's Kosice operation is the largest
economic force in Slovakia and the well-regarded company won
the Department of State's 2003 Award for Corporate
Excellence. The U.S. has a disproportionately large and
positive presence in economically depressed eastern Slovakia.
As the standard of living increases (Bratislava is above the
EU average, though the rest of the country lags well behind),
there will be a bigger market for U.S. trade as well. Our
very strong economic ties will help balance EU influence and
provide a sturdy framework for our overall relationship for
many years to come.


15. (SBU) Corruption continues to be a problem throughout
Slovakia, particularly in the health sector, and the broad
immunity from conflict of interest and financial disclosure
laws which MPs and judges enjoy continues to be criticized by
watchdog groups. Nevertheless, economic growth and increased
western investment have brought with them higher business
standards. Parliament passed a law creating a special
prosecutor's office and court system for corruption cases,
and there have been several highly-publicized charges of past
and current government officials on corruption charges. Both
anecdotally and in measures such as the Transparency
International index, the overall level of corruption appears
to have diminished over the last several years.

PUBLIC OPINION
--------------


16. (SBU) Slovak citizens generally view the U.S.
favorably; they remember American support for freedom in
Central Europe, and many Slovaks have family ties to the U.S.
Nonetheless, public opinion does not keep pace with the
government on issues like Iraq, where only 21 percent of the
population favored the deployment of Slovak troops. However,
public opposition has not been strongly voiced, and there
were no large-scale anti-Iraq war demonstrations. Support
for NATO membership has recovered to 58% after a low two
years ago of 35%. Compared to other Europeans, fewer Slovaks
think their country should take an active part in world
affairs. The GOS, on the other hand, is forward-leaning and
prides itself on its overseas activities and capabilities.

VISAS
--------------


17. (SBU) The visa issue is one of the greatest irritants
in terms of public opinion. Slovak citizens strongly believe
they should be given visa-free travel to the United States
because Slovakia has proven to be such a staunch U.S. ally,
and because it is now a member of both NATO and the EU. In
October 2004 the embassy and the GOS set up a bilateral
working group on consular issues; it met both in February and
June of 2005 and laid out actions for both the GOS and USG.
We have already adopted many best practices recommendations
from CA in order to streamline the visa application process.
While GOS officials recognize they must temper expectations
and acknowledge that Slovak behavior (overstays and fraud)
contribute to the situation, they continue to press for
Slovakia's eventual admission to the Visa Waiver Program.

ROMA AND OTHER MINORITIES
--------------


18. (SBU) Slovakia's transition to a diverse, multicultural
society is not complete. The GOS has made efforts to improve
the lives of its Roma population living in poverty, but
progress has been slow and a comprehensive solution will
likely require the EU to take a major role. Anti-Semitism
and xenophobia still persist in certain elements of Slovak
society, although repudiated by mainstream politicians. In
President Bush's 2005 inaugural address he emphasized that a
nation cannot export freedom if it tolerates racism at home,
and it is a point that is as relevant in Slovakia as in the
U.S.

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EXPORT CONTROLS/ARMS SALES
--------------


19. (SBU) Under previous regimes, Slovakia was a supplier
of arms and other goods to less-desirable regimes. Some of
these old habits have not completely gone away. GOS export
controls are now much stronger, and we are regularly
consulted in advance of questionable sales. Still, interest
persists in trade with Libya, Belarus, Iran, and other
countries of concern. It would be useful to thank the GOS
for consulting with us and to reiterate our concerns about
putting commerce ahead of security or human rights. Slovakia
considers non-proliferation another one of its niche
capabilities, and has sought out leadership opportunities on
this issue in the UNSC.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR VISIT
--------------


20. (SBU) Slovakia is a willing and able partners for U.S.
Transformational Diplomacy objectives, and a friendly face at
the table in New York. Your visit -- during which you will
meet with senior MFA leadership responsible for UN affairs,
as well as local opinion leaders and media representatives --
will help improve the already strong working relationship
between our two countries, as well as provide Slovakia with
additional confidence to take a more vocal position in
international fora. We look forward to your visit to
Bratislava.
VALLEE