SLOVENIA'S PROSPECTIVE OFFERING TO UNIFIL: 2 TO 6

UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000552 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/RPM, EUR/NCE, IO/PKO, PM/RSAT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS SI SUBJECT: SLOVENIA'S PROSPECTIVE OFFERING TO UNIFIL: 2 TO 6 TROOPS REF: A. LJUBLJANA 530 ¶B. LJUBLJANA 501 ¶1. (U) The desires of Prime Minister Janez Jansa and Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel to contribute to UNIFIL (reftels A and B) have now been backed up with a MoD recommendation to send between two and six personnel to support the stabilization of Lebanon. FM Rupel announced August 24 that a final decision would not be made until next week, when the government has had a chance to consider the recommendation, and after he has attended the August 25 meeting of EU Foreign Ministers with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in Brussels. The government is expected to approve the recommendation. ¶2. (U) The General Staff of the Slovene Armed Forces prepared a military recommendation for Defense Minister Karl Erjavec to present at the first post-holiday meeting of the government on August 24. The plan will likely see the two Slovenian troops currently deployed to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in Syria sent to join the UNIFIL mission, with the possible addition of two to four other troops. The MoD advises against sending a larger contingent given Slovenia's current foreign deployments in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Congo, and Iraq. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: The GOS's early public support of the UNIFIL mission and their follow through on offering a contribution of personnel, however modest, demonstrates Slovenia's continuing commitment to become an active partner on important political and security issues, even those well outside Slovenia's traditional regional interests. End Comment. ROBERTSON