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


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