SLOVENIAN PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO IRAQ A BIG

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LJUBLJANA 000774

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/NCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2016
TAGS: PREL SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIAN PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO IRAQ A BIG
SUCCESS


Classified By: COM Thomas B. Robertson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

1.(SBU) Summary. Prime Minister Janez Janasa's surprise visit
to Baghdad on November 15 has played well locally despite
deeply held negative views by both press and public on Iraq.
During and following his visit, Jansa spoke with the press
about the importance of the mission to secure peace and
stability in Iraq and the belief that a precipitous
withdrawal would be "utterly irresponsible." Jansa met with
PM Malaki to discuss current cooperation, rekindle past
commercial partnerships, and begin the process of renewing
diplomatic relations. Timing issues made a meeting with
President Talibani impossible. Jansa also visited four
Slovene troops attached to NTM-I who were reportedly very
enthusiastic about their mission with one even hoping to
extend. End Summary.


2. (U) On November 15th Prime Minister Janez Jansa made a
surprise visit to Iraq to meet with the Iraqi leadership and
to visit the four Slovenian troops training Iraqi security
forces at the Al Rustamiya Training Center outside of
Baghdad. Jansa was accompanied by Foreign Minister Dimitrij
Rupel, Defense Minister Karl Erjavec, and Slovenian Armed
Forces Chief-of-Staff Major General Albin Gutman. The trip
was made in conjunction with a planned visit to Saudi Arabia
and Kuwait that focused on foreign and economic relations.

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REKINDLING OLD TIES
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3. (C) According to Andrej Rahten, Jansa's chief foreign
policy advisor, who was also on the trip, PM Jansa's meeting
with PM Maliki was extended (40 minutes) and very friendly.
Rahten said "almost the entire Iraqi Government was there."
Maliki was well-briefed on Slovenia's assistance to Iraq,
including the four military trainers at NTM-I, and he
remembered with appreciation Iraq's previous cooperation with
Yugoslavia and the presence of Yugoslav companies in Iraq
some years ago. In fact, FM Rupel and the Iraqi FM know each
other from Yugoslav days. Maliki called for reestablishing
bilateral diplomatic relations. Jansa agreed that the
process should begin and he invited Maliki and all of the
Iraqi Ministers to visit Slovenia to work on areas of mutual
cooperation and to promote business relations. Maliki
expressed appreciation for the four Slovenian military
trainers and said that Iraq needs further help with
stabilization.


4. (C) The delegation also visited the NATO military
training center and met with the four Slovene trainers.
Rahten expressed appreciation for the very informative power
point briefing they received. Rahten also reported that the
four Slovenian soldiers were up-beat, and that one had
mentioned a desire to extend for another nine months. CHOD
Gutman stayed to have lunch with the trainers at the
facility.


5. (C) The delegation was supposed to meet with President
Talibani, but the US military liaison office told the party
that they would have to depart earlier in the afternoon than
originally planned. Rahten highly praised the assistance,
competence and cooperative spirit of the US liaison office.
He said that PM Jansa was deeply impressed by the visit and
felt that he had made a real connection with Maliki.

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COMMITTED TO THE MISSION
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6. (SBU) Upon his return, PM Jansa sent COM a letter to
thank him for the support of the US Embassy in Ljubljana and
all USG personnel in Iraq and along the way who made his trip
possible. In the letter, he also expressed his personal
continuing support for the work of the Alliance in Iraq:
"United, democratic, and prosperous Iraq, capable of
providing sustainable security to all its inhabitants remains
high on the agenda shared by Slovenia and the (the) United
States of America as allies in NATO. In Baghdad, I had a
chance to see with my own eyes what an important job the
Alliance is doing in helping to bring about this objective.
This has only been additionally confirmed by the meeting with
Slovenian instructors involved in the NTM-I and hearing their

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first hand experience."


7. (C) Comment: Since PM Jansa took office two years ago,
the Government of Slovenia has responded consistently and
positively to requests for money, materiel and personnel for
Iraq. Though Slovenia's troop contingent is very small, it
is meaningful, particularly for Slovenia itself. Embassy
Ljubljana echoes PM Jansa's thanks for all who were involved
and made his trip a success. The strong new connections made
between Slovenian and Iraqi leaderships will accrue dividends
for our shared goals in Iraq in the months and years to come.
End Comment.
ROBERTSON