SLOVAKIA SUPPORTIVE BUT PESSIMISTIC ON FMCT

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000448 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN/MNSA, GENEVA FOR CD, USUN FOR POL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MNUC PARM PREL KNNP CDG LO SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA SUPPORTIVE BUT PESSIMISTIC ON FMCT REF: STATE 92033 (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel points to Karol Mistrik, Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section at MFA. Mistrik asked how the US intended to break the deadlock that has surrounded the Conference on Disarmament (CD) and fissile materials treaties for the past eight years. Mistrik attributed that deadlock to the unwillingness of G20 countries to consider any fissile materials treaty that does not also address the stockpiles held by the P5 and overall disarmament. Slovakia will support the US proposed treaty "as a basis for negotiation" even though they would have preferred to see a draft that, like the Shannon mandate, includes a verification regime. Mistrik did not believe, however, that even unanimous support of the Western Group countries would be sufficient to convince the G20 countries, which will not support any more "cutoff" treaties until actual disarmament is on the table as well. VALLEE