GOS HEARS PITCH ON BLANKET END USE RETRANSFER AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000743 SIPDIS SIPDIS PM/RSAT FOR SFURNACE E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2016 TAGS: MASS SI SUBJECT: GOS HEARS PITCH ON BLANKET END USE RETRANSFER AND SECURITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM REF: SECSTATE 181601 Classified By: COM for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) Embassy Ljubljana delivered reftel diplomatic note asking the Government of Slovenia to consider joining the USG's blanket end use retransfer and security assurance program. A copy of the diplomatic note will be faxed to PM/RSAT on November 16. ¶2. (C) PolMilOff followed up on the diplomatic note with Ministry of Foreign Affairs Security Policy staffer Bostjan Jerman on November 16. Jerman told PolMilOff that the MFA was examining the note, that he had discussed it with the Director of the MFA's North America Office Mirko Cigler, and that the Ministry of Defense would likely take the lead on this issue. He said that this is a lower priority issue for Slovenia because it is pleased with the status quo end use retransfer and security assurance process and because the list of participating countries does not include those that Slovenia tends to work with (he identified Germany, the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom specifically). Jerman commented that Slovenia would be amenable to the proposal if it was a NATO initiative that all member countries participated in. ¶3. (U) PolMilOff will speak with Ministry of Defense International Desk Officer Stanka Lavrih on November 17 to discuss the proposal. Embassy will report any substantive responses from the Government of Slovenia septel. ROBERTSON