LAVROV VISIT REINVIGORATED BILATERAL TALKS ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000301

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2016
TAGS: PREL ECON BO RU LO
SUBJECT: LAVROV VISIT REINVIGORATED BILATERAL TALKS ON
ECONOMY, ENERGY


Classified By: Ambassador Rodolphe M. Vallee for reason 1.4 (b) and (d)
.


1. (C) Summary: The working visit of Russian FM Lavrov to
Slovakia focused on renewing dialogue on economic and energy
issues. Lavrov expressed the Russian desire to continue
supplying oil, gas, and nuclear materials for Slovakia's
energy needs. On Belarus, Slovak FM Kukan reportedly was
forceful in private reagrding the flawed elections. Lavrov
conceded that Lukashenko was not an ideal leader, but should
be dealt with over the long term. Publicly Kukan said
Slovakia and Russia had "agreed to disagree." The next step
in the bilateral relationship may be an autumn visit to
Moscow by Slovak President Gasparovic. End summary.


2. (C) According to Peter Juza of the MFA Department for CIS
and the Balkans, the April 4-5 visit of Russian Foreign
Minister Lavrov was a routine working visit. Lavrov comes
every year to commemorate the April 4 anniversary of the WWII
liberation of Bratislava by Russian troops. This year,
Lavrov had meetings with President Gasparovic, PM Dzurinda,
and FM Kukan, and participated in commemoration ceremonies of
the Bratislava liberation.

Energy and Economic Cooperation
--------------


3. (C) Juza said the most notable accomplishment of the visit
was that a bilateral commission that has been stagnant for
two years began functioning again, with discussions in two
areas: economic cooperation and energy. Economic relations
mainly focused on manufacturing and food products. Lavrov
emphasized that Russia wants to be a stable partner for
energy supply, but there must be stability on both sides, and
he gave Ukraine's siphoning of gas from the pipeline an
example of an "unstable" partner.


4. (C) The Russian-Slovak contracts on energy supply end in
2008, and during the energy dialogue, Lavrov confirmed
Russian willingness to guarantee longer-term contracts for
energy supply. He discussed Russia's plan to liberalize
prices for energy throughout the CIS, due to pressure from
the World Bank and world markets. Lavrov asked that Russian
companies not be excluded from participating in tenders to
supply inputs for Slovakia's nuclear energy plants. (Note:
Nuclear plants are already privatized, so Lavrov's request
was that the government not place obstacles in the way of
Russian companies.) Regarding a bid for the GOS to buy back
ownership in the oil pipeline running through Slovakia from
Rusnaft, Slovakia has decided to take some time to do
"research" before proceding.

Slovakia Takes Tough Stance on Belarus
--------------


5. (C) Kukan reportedly held a tough line during discussions
on Belarus, and publicly announced that Slovakia and Russia
had simply "agreed to disagree." Juza told Pol-Ec Chief that
Lavrov insisted the electoral process in Belarus had been
"constitutionally correct." While the conduct of the
campaign was poor, the electoral process in Belarus had been
better than that in Ukraine. Russia did not want to make
Belarus a black hole, and although Russia agreed Lukashenko
was not an ideal leader, removing him from office must be a
long-term process. Kukan's chief of staff told DCM that
Lavrov's spin was that Russia had its own way to influence
Lukashenko, including establishing market prices for gas
supply and pressuring Lukashenko on the great Belarus-Russia
"Union." Lubomir Rehak, who will soon depart to become
Slovak Charge d'Affaires in Minsk, was more cynical. In his
view, the liberalization of gas prices was intended to
pressure Lukashenko to privatize the gas pipeline (in favor
of a Russian company, of course) and not to achieve a
political result.


6. (C) In discussions on Ukraine, Lavrov said Ukraine was
free to make its own decisions regarding possible membership
in Euro-Atlantic structures, but it must be aware that Moscow
will react to integration moves.


7. (C) Finally, Lavrov invited President Gasparovic to visit
Russia in the October-November timeframe. The main question
now is of protocol; Slovakia is holding out for a State Visit.


8. (C) Comment: There was little press coverage of Lavrov's
visit, perhaps because it was characterized as a "working"
visit. Juza said that the Slovak population has a neutral
attitude toward Russia. Slovaks feel a "fellow Slav"
affinity for Russian people. On the other hand, they don't
see any reason for Russia to exercise much influence over
events in Slovakia. Only the older generation remembers the
Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Juza said the

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students he teaches at the university level are mostly
ignorant about Soviet/Russian history. They don't know about
Stalin; they don't know about Glasnost; they don't have
preconceptions.
VALLEE