SLOVAKIA; 2005/2006 REPORT TO CONGRESS ON ALLIED

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000084 SIPDIS STATE FOR PM/SNA AND EUR DOD FOR OSD/PA&E, OASD/ISA/EUR, OASD/ISA/NP, OASD/ISA/AP, OASD/ISA/NESA, OASD/ISA/BTF E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MARR MCAP LO SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA; 2005/2006 REPORT TO CONGRESS ON ALLIED CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMON DEFENSE REF: 05 STATE 223383 ¶1. (U) Embassy Bratislava's submissions for the 2005/2006 Report to Congress on Allied Contributions to the Common Defense follows in paragraphs 2-13. Information is keyed to paragraph numbers in Reftel. The POC for this REPORT in Bratislava is Political Military Officer Aaron Chase. Telephone number 421 2 5922 3376. Email chaseau@state.gov or chaseau@state.sgov.gov ¶2. (U) General Assessment (Paragraphs 8.A and 8.B): 2004: After 10 years in the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program, Slovakia joined the NATO alliance in 2004. As a NATO member Slovakia has been a valuable and forward-looking supporter of the trans-Atlantic partnership. Slovakia has been a role model for other new NATO members and aspirants in the areas of defense capabilities transformation and development of planning structures. In 2004 Slovak forces participated in NATO missions ISAF, KFOR, SFOR and served NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo. Slovakia received very positive feedback related to its active participation in KFOR operations in 2003. Just one month after Slovakia became a full NATO member, an Engineer Unit (16 1) equipped for explosives disposal was deployed to ISAF. Two civilians were also sent to the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Kunduz, Afghanistan. Until December 2004, the Slovak military participated in SFOR, and since that time four Slovak officers have remained with NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo. For complete personnel details of all overseas-deployed Slovak military units, see paragraph 4. 2005: Slovakia,s 2005 Security and Defense Strategy created new requirements for Armed Forces capabilities, including the ability to achieve fully deployable and sustainable forces for international crisis management operations. Although Slovakia,s capabilities and resources remain limited, in 2005 Slovak forces participated in many crucial multilateral missions, including support to NATO in ISAF, KFOR, SFOR and NTM-1. For complete personnel details of all overseas-deployed Slovak military units, see paragraph 4. ¶3. (U) Interoperability (Paragraph 8.C): 2004: At the NATO summit in Istanbul Slovakia agreed to act as the Lead Nation in the area of explosives and ordinance disposal (OED). That commitment was officially accepted in 2004, and France and Germany agreed to work with Slovakia to establish a training center. Slovakia was involved in the NATO Forces Planning Project as an accession country. From the first 72 force proposals from NATO, Slovakia accepted 55 as its Force Goals 2004. 2005: In September 2005, Allied Command in Heidelberg, Germany affirmed Slovak Ground Forces Headquarters. Three months later the Command affirmed the Immediate Reaction Battalion in Martin, which had been officially designated for NRF-10. In July 2005 the Slovak Republic received the Force Proposals 2006 from NATO. A national response was delivered to NATO after an assessment and bilateral workshop with Alliance experts. ¶4. (U) Contingency/Stability Operations, Peacekeeping (Paragraphs 8.D and 8.E): 2004: The following Comma Delimited Table shows Slovak participation in overseas military missions in 2004 according to: Operation/Mission, Area of Operations, Number of Personnel, Type of Unit/Notes Iraqi Freedom, Iraq, 110, Engineer Unit - explosives disposal and force protection Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan-Baghram, 40, Engineer Unit - reconstruction of runways ISAF, Afghanistan-Kabul, 17, Engineer Unit - explosives disposal KFOR, Kosovo, 100, Mechanized Battalion - patrolling SFOR, Sarajevo, 8, HQ Officers (Until 12/01/2004) NATO HQ, Sarajevo, 4, HQ Officers (Since 12/02/2004) ALTHEA, Sarajevo, 4, HQ Officers (Since 12/02/2004) EUMM, Former Yugoslavia, 2, Monitors UNFICYP, Cyprus, 280, Guard Battalion - monitoring and patrolling UNDOF, Golan Heights, 95, Guard Battalion - monitoring and patrolling UNTSO, Middle East, 2, Monitors UNAMSIL, Sierra Leone, 1, Monitors 2005: The following Comma Delimited Table shows Slovak participation in overseas military missions in 2005 according to: Operation/Mission, Area of Operations, Number of Personnel, Type of Unit/Notes Iraqi Freedom, Iraq, 105, Engineer Unit - explosives disposal and force protection NTM-1, Iraq, 2, Officers - training Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan-Baghram, 40, Engineer Unit - reconstruction of runways (Became part of ISAF on 12/31/2005) ISAF, Afghanistan-Kabul, 17, Engineer Unit - explosives disposal KFOR, Kosovo, 100, Mechanized Battalion - patrolling NATO HQ, Sarajevo, 4, HQ Officers ALTHEA, Sarajevo, 4, HQ Officers EUMM, Former Yugoslavia, 2, Monitors UNFICYP, Cyprus, 196, Guard Battalion - monitoring and patrolling UNDOF, Golan Heights, 95, Guard Battalion - monitoring and patrolling UNTSO, Middle East, 2, Monitors UNAMSIL, Sierra Leone, 1, Monitor (until 12/01/2005) ¶5. (U) Cost Sharing (Paragraph 9): Slovakia did not provide cash assistance or in-kind contributions in support of stationed U.S. forces during the relevant time period. ¶6. (U) Direct Cost Sharing (Paragraph 10): Items A-H of paragraph 10 do not apply to Slovakia. 2004: The Slovak government incurred the following expenses (shown as a Comma Delimited Table) as a result of USAF training exercises conducted at the Malacky Airfield and target range: Airfield usage and navigation fees, 26 312 208 SKK Ordnance works fees, 42 592 SKK Target range usage fees, 102 057 589 SKK Total, 128 412 389 SKK 2005: The Slovak government incurred the following expenses (shown as a Comma Delimited Table) as a result of USAF training exercises conducted at the Malacky Airfield and target range: Airfield usage and navigation fees, 583 296 SKK Ordnance works fees, 6 912 SKK Target range usage fees, 28 481 188 SKK Total, 29 071 396 SKK ¶7. (U) Indirect Cost Sharing (Paragraph 11): Slovakia did not provide contributions in this category during the relevant period. ¶8. Other recent multilateral Contingency Operations (Paragraph 12.A): 2005: Under the auspices of the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) the Slovak Republic participated in crisis management missions including the military operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and two police forces missions; EUPM in Bosnia and Herzegovina and EUPOL PROXIMA in Macedonia. Slovakia,s goal in 2005 was to incrementally increase participation in ESDP missions on foreign territories of primary foreign policy interest. On November 23, 2005 the government approved enhancing the Slovak contingent in EUFOR ALTHEA with an additional 40-person Guard Company. ¶9. (U) Military Assistance (Paragraph 12.B): 2005: In 2005 Slovakia donated approximately 15 million US dollars worth of military equipment to the Afghan National Army. Slovakia provided assistance to Iraq in all the four main NTM-1 arrangements: - Two Slovak Armed Forces instructors participated in the training of Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) in Iraq; - 16 Iraqi Military Policemen completed a 7-week training held in Slovakia in December. (Slovakia has estimated the value of this training at 100,000 US dollars.) - A donation of military equipment including canteens and blankets valued at 33,000 US dollars. - A financial contribution to the trust fund set up to finance NTM-1 activities. (Post was unable to determine the amount of this contribution by deadline.) ¶10. (U) Humanitarian Relief Operations (Paragraph 12.C): 2005: Slovakia contributed to international assistance for Pakistan with a 10,000 US dollar donation towards the cost of strategic airlift, and donations of humanitarian supplies worth 300,000 US dollars. Slovakia donated 25,000 blankets, 500 camp beds, 1,000 first aid kits and 600 liters of liquid soap to relief operations on the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. ¶11. (U) Capacity building (Paragraph 12.D): 2005: Slovakia was key to initiating the NATO-Ukraine summit in February 2005 and to maintaining intensified NATO-Ukraine dialogue since then. When the Alliance was unable to reach a consensus on a Membership Action Plan (MAP) for Ukraine, Slovakia pursued forms of cooperation between the Alliance and Ukraine nearly equivalent to a regular MAP, and defined its own bilateral relationship with Ukraine through a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries Ministries of Defense, which was signed in November 2005. Slovakia has also undertaken significant Public Diplomacy activities in Ukraine, including contributing to the development of a NATO information strategy, and a tour of Southern Ukraine by Slovakia,s permanent representative to NATO. Two Slovaks participated in the German-run ISAF PRT in Kunduz Province, Afghanistan. One Slovak representative made the first presentation to the North Atlantic Council of Permanent Representatives on German PRT/ISAF lessons learned and experiences gained from the operations of the civilian-military team. ¶12. (U) Counterproliferation (Paragraph 12.E): 2004 and 2005: Slovakia has ratified the most significant multi-lateral arms regulations and disarmament agreements, including the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT),the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC),the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC),the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), the Conventional Weapons Convention (CCW),and the Ottawa Agreement. Slovakia is also a member state of the Wassenar Agreement, the Australia Group, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Zangger Committee, the Proliferation Security Initiative, the Hague Convention (HCOC),and complies with the Missile Technologies Control Regime. 2004: In accordance with the Partial Test Ban Treaty, Slovakia organized and directed a four-day international exercise to train experts to become inspectors for the not-yet-established Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization. The exercise was designed to test new seismographic apparatuses through simulations using classical TNT explosives. 17 foreign participants and 18 Slovak support staff took part in the exercise. The Slovak government estimates the exercise cost 9,574 Euro. 2005: A second training was carried out for inspectors of the Provisional Technical Secretariat of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization. 20 foreign participants and 20 Slovak support staff took part in the exercise. The Slovak government estimates the exercise cost 25,791 Euro. 13.(U) Contributions to NATO programs (Paragraph 13): 2004: As an ally in the GWOT, Slovakia took the lead in the field of military explosives disposal and consequences management (EOD) within the program "Conference of National Directors for Disarmament." During its first year of NATO membership, Slovakia invested time and resources in preparing activities to support closer Alliance cooperation between Ukraine and the Balkan states. 2005: Slovakia significantly extended its practical assistance to Ukraine through bilateral consultations, expert meetings, and a EURO 30,000 contribution to the PfP Trust Fund for Ammunition, Small Arms and MANPADS Disposal Project. Slovakia also contributed to a project supporting the development of professional skills among civilian employees of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. Slovakia works with NATO allies to establish the closest possible contacts with Serbia and Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, neither of which participates in the PfP Program. Slovakia has strongly encouraged both countries to comply unconditionally with the requirements of the ICTY. Additionally Slovakia organized and hosted a Defense Reform Workshop for Bosnian and Serbian experts; sent Slovak experts to a Defense Reform Seminar in Sarajevo; and organized presentations by the Slovak Permanent Representative to NATO in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Slovakia also provided integral pre-accession assistance to Croatia, Macedonia and Albania in the context of those countries NATO Membership Action Plans. VALLEE NNNN