SLOVAKIA: FY-07 USNATO POLICY-MAKER TOUR

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000748 SIPDIS SIPDIS USNATO FOR PAO, DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/PPD, NEA/PPD, SA/PPD, R E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OVIP LO SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA: FY-07 USNATO POLICY-MAKER TOUR RESERVATION REF: USNATO 00474 ¶1. Embassy Bratislava requests a date be reserved for a policy-maker tour in February/March 2007. Post would send six MPs, one FSN and an interpreter. Post requests a tour that includes NATO Headquarters, SHAPE, and briefings by USEU. Follow-on visits to NATO field operations are not/not requested. JUSTIFICATION -------------- ¶2. Post did not send policy makers to USNATO in FY06 because we felt it would be beneficial to await the results of parliamentary elections held in June 2006. Following those elections a new government, consisting entirely of former opposition parties, was formed. Many new MPs who sit on NATO-relevant committees of Parliament have not had an opportunity to visit USNATO before, and all three of the parties in the new coalition GoS have in past been considered skeptical of the benefits of NATO membership to Slovakia. It will be beneficial to develop an understanding of NATOs capabilities, functions and limitations in these MPs early in this parliamentary term. Post is requesting a date during the second quarter of FY07 as Parliament will be busy discussing budgets during the first quarter. PRELIMINARY PARTICIPANTS LIST -------------- ¶3. Final participants for nomination will be determined after a date has been confirmed, and in consultation with relevant party leaders and Parliamentary Committee Heads. Preliminarily, Post has identified the following possible participants: - Juraj Horvath (Smer-SD),Foreign Affairs Committee and European Affairs Committee - Olga Nacmannova (Smer-SD),European Affairs Committee - Rudolf Pucik (SNS),Head of Defense Committee - Emil Vestenicky (SNS),Defense Committee - Jozef Tarcak (HzDS),Special Oversight Committee for Military Intelligence - Zdenka Kramplova (HzDS),Foreign Affairs Committee - Pavol Freso (SDKU),Special Oversight Committee of National Security Office ¶4. Posts POC for NATO tours is FSN Martina Jorikova, JorikovaM@state.gov, 421 2 5443 3177. For Policy-Maker tours to USNATO, please also inform Pol-Mil Officer Aaron Chase, chaseau@state.gov 421 2 5443 3376 SILVERMAN