Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06LJUBLJANA530
2006-08-16 14:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ljubljana
Cable title:  

SLOVENIA: FINDING PRACTICAL WAYS TO MATCH

Tags:  MARR MOPS PREL SI 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLJ #0530 2281406
ZNY CCCCCC ZZH
O 161406Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA
TO SECSTATE/WASHDC/IMMEDIATE/5091
C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000530 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR P, EUR, NEA, PM, IO AND NSC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2016
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: FINDING PRACTICAL WAYS TO MATCH
POLITICAL WILL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO UNIFIL


REF: A. SECSTATE 134133

B. LJUBLJANA 00501

Classified By: COM Thomas B. Robertson for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000530

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR P, EUR, NEA, PM, IO AND NSC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2016
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: FINDING PRACTICAL WAYS TO MATCH
POLITICAL WILL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO UNIFIL


REF: A. SECSTATE 134133

B. LJUBLJANA 00501

Classified By: COM Thomas B. Robertson for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d)


1. (U) A/DCM and PolMilOff delivered Reftel demarche to Mirko
Cigler, Director of the Department for North America, and
Damijan Bergant, Deputy Director of the Department for
International Organizations and Human Security, at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 16.


2. (C) Cigler echoed the statements of Prime Minister Jansa
and Foreign Minister Rupel that Slovenia will contribute, but
said that now they need to take the political will to a
practical level to see "how and where" Slovenia can actually
participate in the UNIFIL mission. Cigler understood the
need for a quick response from participating countries to get
the force up and running soon, but said that it will take
time for the Slovenian interagency process to work. He
stated that the process would begin with the Ministry of
Defense determining what options are available and forwarding
that information, along with the recommendations of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to the government's Foreign
Relations Committee to make a formal decision. Cigler said
that the earliest this would happen would be late next week
as the government does not return from vacation until August

24.


3. (C) Cigler stated that several of the MFA's departments as
well as the MoD's Office of International Cooperation are
working on this issue, that the MFA is watching activities at
the UN in New York to see what UNIFIL's needs are, and that
it is certain that Slovenia will contribute in some way.
Moving from official statement to personal views, Cigler said
that he believes the Slovenian Armed Forces are stretched
thin by current participation in operations in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Kosovo, and that participation in
another peacekeeping operation that requires combat
sophistication would be difficult. He indicated that it is
possible the MFA would look to other ways to contribute
including the use of the Slovenian non-governmental
organizations Together for post-traumatic child social
services or the International Trust Fund for Demining for
mine-related activities. Cigler also said the MFA is hoping
to find money to increase its monetary contribution to the
Lebanon effort from the current pledge of 20,000 euros to a
total pledge of 50,000 euros.
ROBERTSON