SLOVENIA: FINDING PRACTICAL WAYS TO MATCH

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