SLOVAK POSITION ON UNSC RESOLUTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000576 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/04/2008 TAGS: PREL IS KPAL KWBG LE CH LO SUBJECT: SLOVAK POSITION ON UNSC RESOLUTIONS REF: STATE 114594 Classified By: Ambassador Rodolphe Vallee as per E.O. 12958 reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Slovakia's mission to the UN has been instructed to abstain on the Qatar-proposed resolution condemning military operations in Gaza, unless Slovakia's abstention would force the U.S. to cast a decisive veto, in which case Slovakia will vote no. Slovakia will not support the Chinese-Russian proposed resolution on North Korea as it is currently written. End Summary. GAZA -------------- ¶2. (C) Emboff delivered points per reftel to Ambassador Marcel Pesko, UN Security Council Coordinator. Pesko had already been informed that Qatar had agreed to delay a vote on their proposed resolution until July 16. He expressed hope that a revised text could be agreed upon that would be more balanced and reflect quartet concerns, but said that absent significant changes Slovakia's mission had been instructed to abstain on the resolution. He added, however, that the mission had been given permission to vote no on the resolution if necessary to save the U.S. from having to cast a decisive veto. ¶3. (C) Pesko spoke with the Israeli DCM "several times" on July 13 before emboff met with him. Pesko said he expressed Slovak regret at the scope of Israel's reaction to events. NORTH KOREA -------------- ¶4. (C) Slovak FM Kubis was scheduled to speak with the Chinese FM by phone at 16h00 July 13. Pesko said Kubis would tell his Chinese counterpart that Slovakia cannot support the Chinese-Russian proposed resolution on North Korea unless it is substantially revised, at a minimum to include Chapter 7 language. LEBANON -------------- ¶5. (C) Pesko asked about U.S. thinking on a UNSC resolution on Lebanon. He said that Slovakia would support a balanced resolution that regretted both the Hizballah provocations and the Israeli response. VALLEE