Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BRATISLAVA164
2006-03-02 16:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Bratislava
Cable title:
FICO: IF DZURINDA'S GOING TO WASHINGTON, THEN I
how-toVZCZCXRO5488 OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHSL #0164 0611627 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 021627Z MAR 06 FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9583 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000164
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
NSC FOR DAMON WILSON
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2021
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PINR SOCI LO
SUBJECT: FICO: IF DZURINDA'S GOING TO WASHINGTON, THEN I
DON'T WANT TO
REF: BRATISLAVA 131
Classified By: Ambassador Rodolphe M. Vallee for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D
).
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000164
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
NSC FOR DAMON WILSON
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2021
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PINR SOCI LO
SUBJECT: FICO: IF DZURINDA'S GOING TO WASHINGTON, THEN I
DON'T WANT TO
REF: BRATISLAVA 131
Classified By: Ambassador Rodolphe M. Vallee for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D
).
1. (SBU) During a March 1 meeting with Smer Deputy
International Secretary Katarina Nevedalova, we learned that
Smer chairman Robert Fico -- who boasted to Ambassador last
month (reftel) that he knew of Prime Minister Dzurinda's
then-unannounced trip to the U.S. and was planning his own
"get to know me" Washington tour for late March -- has
decided he does not want to go to the U.S. after all.
According to Nevedalova, Fico noted the similarity of the
situation to the 2002 pre-election U.S. visits of both
Dzurinda and HZDS Chairman Vladimir Meciar, and of the Slovak
media reaction: photos of Dzurinda with POTUS, and Meciar
with "lesser officials." Fico believes these optics hurt
Meciar in the polls, and he doesn't want the same to happen
to him.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE U.S.
--------------
2. (SBU) Nevedalova insisted that Fico is aware of the
mechanics of such trips, particularly that protocol dictates
that heads of government meet with heads of government, and
members of parliament -- like Fico -- meet with similar
lawmakers executive branch officials of appropriate rank.
She insisted that Fico's cold feet has nothing to do with his
attitude to the United States, and that he still looks
forward to visiting Washington to "introduce himself" to the
policy community; however, in his political calculations, he
is less and less inclined to travel on the heels of Dzurinda.
3. (C) COMMENT: We told Nevedalova that we look forward to
a Fico visit to Washington at his earliest convenience, as we
think that he and his party would benefit from a close
relationship with the U.S. (particularly as we attempt to
nurture the party into a more pro-Transatlantic posture). In
the meantime, we will wait to see if Fico -- influenced by
focus group results and possibly even by the coverage of
Dzurinda's visit itself -- has a change of heart and decides
to go to Washington anyway. END COMMENT.
VALLEE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
NSC FOR DAMON WILSON
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2021
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PINR SOCI LO
SUBJECT: FICO: IF DZURINDA'S GOING TO WASHINGTON, THEN I
DON'T WANT TO
REF: BRATISLAVA 131
Classified By: Ambassador Rodolphe M. Vallee for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D
).
1. (SBU) During a March 1 meeting with Smer Deputy
International Secretary Katarina Nevedalova, we learned that
Smer chairman Robert Fico -- who boasted to Ambassador last
month (reftel) that he knew of Prime Minister Dzurinda's
then-unannounced trip to the U.S. and was planning his own
"get to know me" Washington tour for late March -- has
decided he does not want to go to the U.S. after all.
According to Nevedalova, Fico noted the similarity of the
situation to the 2002 pre-election U.S. visits of both
Dzurinda and HZDS Chairman Vladimir Meciar, and of the Slovak
media reaction: photos of Dzurinda with POTUS, and Meciar
with "lesser officials." Fico believes these optics hurt
Meciar in the polls, and he doesn't want the same to happen
to him.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE U.S.
--------------
2. (SBU) Nevedalova insisted that Fico is aware of the
mechanics of such trips, particularly that protocol dictates
that heads of government meet with heads of government, and
members of parliament -- like Fico -- meet with similar
lawmakers executive branch officials of appropriate rank.
She insisted that Fico's cold feet has nothing to do with his
attitude to the United States, and that he still looks
forward to visiting Washington to "introduce himself" to the
policy community; however, in his political calculations, he
is less and less inclined to travel on the heels of Dzurinda.
3. (C) COMMENT: We told Nevedalova that we look forward to
a Fico visit to Washington at his earliest convenience, as we
think that he and his party would benefit from a close
relationship with the U.S. (particularly as we attempt to
nurture the party into a more pro-Transatlantic posture). In
the meantime, we will wait to see if Fico -- influenced by
focus group results and possibly even by the coverage of
Dzurinda's visit itself -- has a change of heart and decides
to go to Washington anyway. END COMMENT.
VALLEE