SLOVENIA: PRIME MINISTER ON BOARD WITH U.S.ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 LJUBLJANA 000822

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

EUR/NCE MNORDBERG, EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2016
TAGS: PREL SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: PRIME MINISTER ON BOARD WITH U.S.ON
KOSOVO,TURKEY

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


1. (C) SUMMARY: DURING A SHORT ONE HOUR LUNCH DECEMBER 19
WITH COM ONE-ON-ONE, SLOVENIAN PRIME MINISTER JANSA EXPRESSED
SUPPORT FOR SPECIAL ENVOY AHTISAARI'S WAY FORWARD ON KOSOVO,
SAYING HE HAD ARGUED AT THE EUROPEAN SUMMIT LAST WEEK THAT
THERE WAS NO REASON TO DELAY INTRODUCING THE PLAN ONCE SERB
ELECTIONS TOOK PLACE JANUARY 21. IN DISCUSSING HIS IRAQ TRIP
LAST MONTH, HE SAID PM MALIKI COMPARED AN IRAQ WITHOUT
INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE TO THE ETHNIC CONFLICTS IN BOSNIA
BEFORE INTERNATIONAL INTERVENTION. JANSA AGREED THAT THE EU
NEEDED TO BE MORE SUPPORTIVE OF TURKEY'S EU BID, BUT NOTED
FRENCH INTRANSIGENCE WAS LIKELY INSURMOUNTABLE IN THE SHORT
TERM. HE LAID OUT SLOVENE PLANS TO PRIVATIZE KEY SECTORS OF
THE ECONOMY AND INDICATED HIS SUPPORT FOR MOVING FORWARD ON
THE HARRAH'S INVESTMENT, WHILE ARGUING THAT INCIPIENT
OPPOSITION AND THE UPCOMING SLOVENIAN CHAIR OF THE EU MEANT
THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND HARRAH'S NEED TO MOVE QUICKLY TO
FINISH THE DEAL. JANSA RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT CROATIA'S
ENFORCING A FISHERIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ZONE IN THE ADRIATIC
IN VIOLATION OF ITS OBLIGATIONS TO THE EU. ON BILATERAL
ISSUES, HE CLAIMED IGNORANCE ABOUT THE DETAILS OF TWO RECENT
MILITARY PROCUREMENT DECISIONS, WAS SUPPORTIVE OF A DISNEY
PLAN TO FILM IN HIS HOME AREA, AND AGREED TO LOOK INTO THE
ECONOMIC MINISTRY'S UNWILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT THE U.S. TRACKER
EXPORT CONTROL SOFTWARE. HE WAS IN THE LOOP ON A MAJOR US
DENATIONALIZATION CLAIM THAT HAS GONE SOUR, BUT CLAIMED,
WHILE SYMPATHETIC, THAT THE COURTS WOULD BE DEALING WITH THE
ISSUE. END SUMMARY

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JANSA STILL OPTIMISTIC ABOUT LONG TERM TURKISH EU MEMBERSHIP,
DESPITE THE FRENCH
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2. (C) COM OPENED CONVERSATION BY ASKING JANSA ABOUT THE
EUROPEAN SUMMIT IN BRUSSELS LAST WEEK, NOTING THAT THE PAPERS
HAD A PICTURE OF HIM WITH A BROAD SMILE ON HIS FACE SPEAKING
TO CHANCELLOR MERKEL. JANSA RESPONDED THAT IT WAS AT THE END
OF A MORE DIFFICULT DISCUSSION ON TURKEY. JANSA SAID HE HAD
SPOKEN OUT STRONGLY IN PUBLIC REMARKS TO REUTERS AND
BLOOMBERG THAT THE EU NEEDED TO SUPPORT TURKEY'S EU BID.
WHILE HE THOUGHT SUPPORTERS OF TURKEY COULD WORK WITH THE
GERMANS ON THIS ISSUE, THAT COULD NOT BE SAID OF THE FRENCH.
SARKOZY, IN MEETINGS WITH EUROPEAN LEADERS, HAD BEEN NO MORE
READY TO SUPPORT TURKEY'S ROAD TO THE EU IN PRIVATE THAN HE
WAS PUBLICLY. FURTHERMORE, FRANCE HAD PASSED A LAW REQUIRING
A REFERENDUM BEFORE THE ENTRY OF EACH NEW MEMBER.
ADDITIONALLY THERE WAS THE FACT THAT CYPRUS WAS NOW A PART OF
THE EU, MAKING TURKISH ENTRY EVEN MORE PROBLEMATIC. STILL,
JANSA WAS OPTIMISTIC THAT IF TURKEY CONTINUED TO WORK ON
FULFILLING ITS MEMBERSHIP TASKS, IT EVENTUALLY WOULD JOIN.
JANSA EMPHASIZED HIS COMMITMENT TO THIS, SAYING HE HAD
SCHEDULED A TRIP TO TURKEY NEXT YEAR, PERHAPS IN JUNE. JANSA
AGAIN EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF EVENTUAL EXPANSION FOR THE
BALKAN STATES AS WELL. (COMMENT: WHEN ASKED ABOUT FM
DMITRIJ RUPEL'S COMMENT THAT SLOVENIA HAD GONE ALONG WITH THE
"FAMILY'S (READ EU COLLECTIVE) APPROACH" ON TURKEY, JANSA
CAME BACK, "YES, BUT THE FAMILY NEEDS TO INCLUDE ALL THE
MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY.")

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KOSOVO: SLOVENIA FULLY ON BOARD WITH AHTISAARI APPROACH
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3. (C) COM ASKED ABOUT THE DISCUSSION OF KOSOVO AT THE
SUMMIT. JANSA SAID THE ROMANIANS AND OTHERS HAD SUGGESTED
DELAYING AHTISAARI'S PLAN TO LAY OUT HIS KOSOVO STATUS
PROPOSAL UNTIL SOMETIME AFTER THE FORMATION OF A NEW SERB
GOVERNMENT, BUT THAT HE HAD OPPOSED THIS APPROACH, ASKING WHY
SHOULD THEY DELAY AT ALL. HE AGREED THAT TIMING THE LAY OUT
OF THE PROPOSAL FOR IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ELECTIONS MADE THE
MOST SENSE, SINCE IT WOULD TAKE WEEKS OR MONTHS TO FORM A
GOVERNMENT, AND ANY EVENTUAL GOVERNMENT COULD AVOID
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PLAN. NO SERB PARTY OR GOVERNMENT
COULD SUPPORT THE PLAN IN ANY CASE. JANSA SAID GRANTING
SERBIA PFP AT THE RIGA SUMMIT HAD BEEN A GOOD IDEA (SAYING HE
KNEW THIS HAD BEEN A TOUGH DECISION FOR WASHINGTON). HE
EMPHASIZED THAT MOVING FORWARD ON KOSOVO QUICKLY WAS IN
SERBIA'S BEST INTERESTS. THEY WERE THE ONES WHO SUFFERED
MOST IN EFFECT FROM THE WHOLE ISSUE. SERBIA NEEDED TO START
LOOKING FORWARD INSTEAD OF BACKWARD.

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IRAQI PM MALAKI: IRAQ WITHOUT INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE COMPARED
TO BOSNIAN SITUATION DURING WAR

LJUBLJANA 00000822 002 OF 004


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4. (C) JANSA, WHO HAD EARLIER SENT COM LETTER OF GRATITUDE
FOR EMBASSY SUPPORT FOR HIS TRIP TO IRAQ, SAID HE HAD BRIEFED
PRESIDENT BUSH ON SOME OF THE HIGH POINTS OF THE VISIT DURING
THE RIGA SUMMIT. AMONG OTHER THINGS, HE SAID THAT PM MALAKI
HAD HIMSELF COMPARED THE POTENTIAL OF AN IRAQ WITHOUT FOREIGN
PRESENCE TO THE WAY BOSNIA WAS BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL
INVOLVEMENT TO STOP THAT WAR. JANSA SAID HE AGREED, BUT ADDED
THAT ANY SUSTAINED INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE HAD TO HAVE A CLEAR
MISSION. HE AGREED THAT THE TRAINING OF IRAQI SOLDIERS AND
POLICE WAS KEY AND THAT SLOVENIA'S CONTRIBUTION WAS THEREFORE
WELL SUITED. HE ADDED THAT THE SITUATION WAS NOTHING LIKE
WHAT IS PORTRAYED IN THE MEDIA OR ON TELEVISION. SURE, THERE
WERE BOMBS AND THE PROBLEMS WERE SERIOUS, BUT, AS ONE COULD
SEE FROM THE AIR, FOR THE MOST PART IRAQIS WENT ABOUT THEIR
BUSINESS. OUTSIDE OF BAGHDAD, THERE WAS CERTAINLY GREATER
STABILITY.

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CROATIA: CROATIANS BACKTRACKING, EU ISSUES AT STAKE
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5. (C) ASKED ABOUT THE DIFFICULT ISSUES WITH CROATIA, JANSA
SAID HE MAINTAINED REGULAR CONTACT WITH SANADER WITH WHOM HE
CLAIMED TO HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP (REFERRING TO HIM
THROUGHOUT AS "IVO"). THESE ISSUES WERE MADE MORE DIFFICULT
BY THE FACT THAT THE CROATIANS WOULD HAVE ELECTIONS AGAIN
NEXT YEAR, MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR SANADER TO MOVE. AS
ONE EXAMPLE, JANSA SAID HE HAD CALLED SANADER, AS HAD THE
ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, LAST FRIDAY BEFORE HIS RECENT
DECISION TO PASS THE ACT THAT WOULD ENFORCE A FISHERIES AND
ENVIRONMENTAL ZONE IN THE ADRIATIC. JANSA POINTED OUT THAT
THE ITALIANS HAD MUCH MORE TO LOSE THAN SLOVENIA, SINCE ITALY
HAS 800 SHIPS THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED COMPARED TO SLOVENIA'S
TWO SHIPS. DESPITE THE TWO CALLS URGING HIM NOT TO, SANADER
WENT AHEAD. JANSA SAID THAT IT WAS THE FOURTH TIME THAT THE
CROATIANS HAD BACKTRACKED ON AN AGREEMENT THEY HAD SIGNED.
THIS WOULD BE A PROBLEM FOR THEM NEXT YEAR IN THEIR
NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE EU.

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ECONOMIC POLICY: CONSERVATIVE COUNTRY, BUT MOVING FORWARD ON
PRIVATIZATION, OTHER ISSUES
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6.(C) JANSA ADMITTED THAT SLOVENIA WAS A CONSERVATIVE
COUNTRY, MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT PROTECTING ITS CULTURE,
LANGUAGE, AND VALUES. HE LAUGHED WHEN COM REMINDED HIM THAT
FM RUPEL HAD TOLD SECRETARY RICE DURING JANSA'S MEETING WITH
HER THAT SLOVENIA WANTED MORE TOURISM, "BUT NOT TOO MUCH
MORE." JANSA ADDED THAT, IN PART, THE CONSERVATISM ABOUT
ECONOMIC POLICY WAS A PRODUCT OF THE SOCIALIST PAST. IN THE
OLD DAYS, PEOPLE WOULD CLAIM THAT UNDER SOCIALISM YUGOSLAVIA
WAS UNDER ATTACK FROM OUTSIDE (READ: CAPITALIST, IMPERIALIST)
SOURCES, THAT ALL WOULD BE BETTER UNDER COMMUNISM. NOW SOME
OF THE INTELLECTUAL ELITE, AND EVEN SOME ECONOMISTS, HAVE
REVERSED THE ORDER, I.E., NOW IS GOOD, BUT IT WILL GET WORSE
LATER. FOR EXAMPLE, PRIVATIZATION HAS BEEN ON THE SLOVENIAN
AGENDA FOR YEARS, BUT LITTLE HAS HAPPENED. THAT SAID, JANSA
SAID NEXT YEAR SLOVENIA WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH PRIVATIZATION
OF TELECOM, STEEL, ENERGY, AND THE NKB MARIBOR BANK. IN
ADDITION, KAD/SOD'S OWNERSHIP IN 40 SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED
COMPANIES WILL BE REDUCED TO 5-10 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL. IN
2008, THIS WILL BE DONE IN ANOTHER 80 COMPANIES. HE SAID THE
ORGANIZED OPPOSITION TO ECONOMIC CHANGE COULD BE SEEN IN THE
HANDLING OF THE FLAT TAX ISSUE. SLOVENIAN RESISTANCE WAS
MORE IN KEEPING WITH THE GERMAN EXPERIENCE AS OPPOSED TO THE
ESTONIAN.



7. (C) ON FDI, JANSA ADMITTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN LITTLE
MOVEMENT WITH THE U.S. HE SAID HE OFTEN REFERRED TO
GOODYEAR'S INVESTMENT IN KRANJ AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE SUCCESS
U.S. INVESTMENT COULD ENJOY. COM AGREED, NOTING, HOWEVER,
THAT GOODYEAR WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR GOOD AND BAD REASONS,
I.E., GOODYEAR WAS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SLOVENIA'S HIGHLY
SKILLED LABOR AND ITS ACCESS TO THE BALKANS, WITH SIGNIFICANT
GROWTH AND INCREASED INVESTMENT EACH YEAR, WHILE ON THE
NEGATIVE SIDE, THE INFLEXIBILITY IN THE LABOR LAWS HAD PUSHED
GOODYEAR TO MOVE ITS MANAGEMENT TO PRAGUE. JANSA SAID THAT
ONE OF HIS KEY PRIORITIES THIS YEAR WOULD BE TO DRAFT NEW
LABOR LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, WITH IT TO BE
PASSED AND GO INTO FORCE BEFORE SUMMER 2007. HIS
"DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP," A GROUP REPRESENTING ALL
PARLIAMENTARY PARTIES MINUS THE MAIN OPPOSITION LIBERAL

LJUBLJANA 00000822 003 OF 004


DEMOCRACY (LDS),WAS IN AGREEMENT WITH THE APPROACH. WHILE
HE SAID HE DID NOT EXPECT THE OPPOSITION SOCIAL DEMOCRATS
(SD) TO AGREE ON ALL POINTS, HE THOUGHT PROGRESS COULD BE
MADE, ALTHOUGH HE EMPHASIZED AGAIN THE STRENGTH OF THE UNIONS
IN SLOVENIA. JANSA SAID HE WAS AWARE THAT DISNEY WAS PLANNING
TO FILM PART OF ITS NEW NARNIA FILM IN THE SOCA VALLEY NEAR
BOVEC, AS THE MAYOR HAD KEPT HIM BRIEFED ABOUT IT (NOTE:
JANSA HAS A HOME IN BOVEC). TOLD THAT MOD AND MINISTRY OF
ENVIRONMENT OFFICIALS HAD BEEN RETICENT ABOUT DISNEY'S PLANS,
JANSA SAID HE WOULD PURSUE, EMPHASIZING THAT HE SHARED THE
MAYOR'S ENTHUSIASM FOR THE PROJECT. ASKED WHY HE HAD BROUGHT
GROUPS OF BUSINESSMEN ON HIS TRIPS TO KUWAIT AND SAUDI
ARABIA, BUT NOT THE STATES, JANSA WAS QUICK AND CLEAR: IN
THE MIDDLE EAST, AND IN RUSSIA, HE ADDED, PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD
YOU NEEDED SPECIAL ENTREE IN ORDER TO GET INTO BUSINESS
NEGOTIATIONS THERE, SINCE THE GOVERNMENT OVERSAW TRADE AND
INVESTMENT. SLOVENIAN BUSINESSMEN, ON THE OTHER HAND, GO TO
THE US ALL THE TIME. IT'S A FREE ENTERPRISE ENVIRONMENT AND
THEY CAN MAKE ANY DEALS THEY WISH WITHOUT GOVERNMENT
PROMOTION.

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HARRAH'S: BRIEFED, AND POSITIVE, BUT NEED TO MOVE QUICKLY
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8. (C) ON THE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN HARRAH'S ENTERTAINMENT AND
THE GOS, JANSA WAS CLEARLY UP TO SPEED. ON THE PROPOSAL FOR
THE GOS TO MAINTAIN 51 PERCENT CONTROL, WHILE HARRAH'S WOULD
HAVE MANAGEMENT CONTROL, JANSA SAID THAT THAT WAS AN
IMPORTANT POSITION TO EASE SLOVENIANS' CONCERNS AND THEIR
TYPICAL CONSERVATISM ABOUT SUCH A BIG INVESTMENT. HE NOTED
PRESIDENT DRNOVSEK'S CRITICAL REMARKS RECENTLY ABOUT A GAMING
INVESTMENT OF THIS TYPE AND SIZE, SAYING IRONICALLY THAT
"DRNOVSEK SHOULD KNOW SINCE HE STARTED THE GAMING INDUSTRY IN
SLOVENIA." HE SAID HIT'S NIKO TROST HAD POINTED OUT IN
RESPONSE THAT ONLY 10 PERCENT OF THE INVESTMENT WOULD BE FOR
GAMING, THE REST FOR TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUCH. BUT
DRNOVSEK'S COMMENTS UNDERSCORED THAT SLOVENIA AND HARRAH'S
NEEDED TO MOVE QUICKLY, BEFORE OPPOSITION TO THE DEAL
SOLIDIFIED. MOREOVER, THE CLOSER SLOVENIA GOT TO ITS EU
CHAIRMANSHIP, THE LESS TIME THE FINANCE MINISTRY WOULD HAVE
TO WORK ON THIS DEAL. JANSA SAID HE HOPED THAT THE PLAN TO
HAVE AN AGREEMENT SIGNED BY THE END OF FEBRUARY WOULD BE MET.

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MILITARY PROCUREMENT: JANSA OUT OF THE LOOP ON PATRIA, MILES
DETAILS
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9. (C) COM RAISED HIS CONCERNS ABOUT TWO RECENT TENDERS
THAT THE U.S. HAD LOST. ON THE 8X8 TRANSPORT VEHICLE,
DECIDED LAST SUMMER IN FAVOR OF FINNISH CONCERN PATRIA, COM
MENTIONED THAT WE HAD LEARNED THAT IN NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN
PATRIA AND GOS ON THE DETAILS, COST OVERRUNS WERE RUNNING AT
ABOUT 40 PERCENT OVER THE ORIGINAL PROJECTED COST.
FURTHERMORE, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE GOS WOULD HAVE TO EITHER
DO WITHOUT VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF THE VEHICLE (E.G.,
FLOTABILITY, RADIO ENCRYPTION) OR REDUCE THE NUMBER OF
VEHICLES FROM THE ORIGINAL 135 TO ABOUT 55 TO MEET THE COST
LIMITATIONS. JANSA CLAIMED NOT TO HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT
THIS, SAYING IT WAS DEFENSE MINISTER ERJAVEC'S
RESPONSIBILITY. COM COMMENTED THAT THE RECENT DECISION BY
VIATOR VEKTOR TO SELL ITS OWNERSHIP IN SISTEMSKA TEHNIKA, THE
FIRM ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO FILL THE 8X8 ORDER FOR THE
U.S.'S GENERAL DYNAMICS, TO GORENJE, THE LEAD SUBCONTRACTOR
FOR THE PATRIA COMPANY, SOUNDED "VERY BALKAN" AND BEGGED THE
QUESTION OF HOW THIS WHOLE DECISION WAS MADE. JANSA AGAIN
DEMURRED, SAYING IT WAS THE DEFENSE MINISTER'S JOB TO MAKE
SURE THIS ALL TRANSPIRED IN A VERY TRANSPARENT MANNER, AND
COM AGREED THAT HE HOPED IT WOULD COME OUT CLEARLY WHEN THE
FINAL DOCUMENTS WERE SIGNED. JANSA COMMENTED THAT THIS WAS A
DEAL WITH THE FINNS, WHICH MEANT THAT EU STANDARDS FOR THE
TENDER WOULD HAVE HAD TO APPLY. COM MENTIONED WRYLY THAT IT
WAS TOO BAD FINLAND WAS NOT ALSO A NATO MEMBER SO THAT IT
COULD ALSO COMPLY WITH NATO STANDARDS. ON CUBIC'S FMS
TENDER, JANSA CLAIMED NOT TO KNOW THE PARTICULARS, ASKED WHEN
THE TENDER HAD BEEN AWARDED, AND AGREED THAT IT SOUNDED
PECULIAR THAT SLOVENIA WOULD BE THE ONLY COUNTRY TO GO WITH
SAAB WHEN 37 OTHER COUNTRIES HAD TAKEN THE CUBIC FMS DEAL.
COM EXPLAINED THAT THE SAAB SYSTEM WHICH THE GOS HAD SELECTED
WOULD MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO BE INTEROPERABLE WITH OTHER NATO
ALLIES, AND ESPECIALLY THE US, WHEN THEY DO JOINT TRAINING.
(COMMENT: JANSA DID NOT REALIZE OR REMEMBER THAT COM HAD SENT
HIM A LETTER OCTOBER 10 URGING HIM AND THE GOS TO GIVE CUBIC
PROPER CONSIDERATION, AND REITERATING ITS STRENGTHS. WE HAVE
FAXED HIM ANOTHER COPY.)

LJUBLJANA 00000822 004 OF 004



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TRACKER: YES, WE PROBABLY NEED IT
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10. (C) COM MENTIONED THAT THE U.S. HAD CONSISTENTLY
OFFERED TO SLOVENIA OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS THE TRACKER
COMPUTER SOFTWARE SYSTEM FOR EXPORT CONTROL PURPOSES. ALL OF
THE NEW EU STATES BUT SLOVENIA HAD ACCEPTED THE U.S. OFFER.
TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THE MFA SUPPORTED THIS, BUT THERE HAD BEEN
RESISTANCE TO IT IN THE MINISTRY OF ECONOMY. THE MFA
REPORTED THAT THEY WERE NOW HAVING INCREASING CLEARANCE
REQUESTS, ALMOST ONE A WEEK. THE SYSTEM WAS FULLY COMPATIBLE
WITH THE SYSTEM USED IN OLDER, WESTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.
JANSA AGREED THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING SLOVENIA SHOULD
HAVE, AND ACCEPTED A COPY OF A LETTER COM HAD SENT ECONOMY
MINISTER VIZJAK AND FOREIGN MINISTER RUPEL LAST FEBRUARY 10.

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HOHN SARIC DENATIONALIZATION: LET'S TAKE A LOOK, THIS
HAPPENED A LOT
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11. (C) COM HANDED THE PM A NON-PAPER ON THE HOHN-SARIC
PROPERTY DENATIONALIZATION CASE, ONE IN WHICH A FORMER
YUGOSLAV CITIZEN HAD BEEN DENIED THE RETURN OF HIS PROPERTY,
WHERE THE VALUABLE RADENSKA MINERAL WATER FACTORY NOW STANDS.
JANSA LOOKED AT HIS NOTES AND COMMENTED THAT HE UNDERSTOOD
THE COURTS WOULD RULE ON THIS ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22. COM
LAID OUT THE DISINGENUINITY OF THE INTERIOR MINISTRY IN
REDEFINING CITIZENSHIP TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE AMERICAN
CLAIMANT. JANSA COMMENTED THAT THE REASON HIS GOVERNMENT HAD
NOT BEEN ABLE TO COMPLETE DENATIONALIZATION AS THEY HAD
ORIGINALLY INTENDED WAS IN PART DUE TO THE SLOWNESS OF THE
COURTS. COM GAVE JANSA ANOTHER COPY OF EARLIER LETTER SENT
TO HIM ON THIS CASE. JANSA ADMITTED THAT SUCH TREATMENT OF
PEOPLE WHO HAD LOST THEIR PROPERTY HAD NOT BEEN UNUSUAL, AND
HE AGREED TO LOOK INTO IT ONCE AGAIN, ONCE THE COURT HAD MADE
ITSD DECISION. INTERESTINGLY, ON A SEPARATE
DENATIONALIZATION CASE INVOLVING THE CITY OF LJUBLJANA, JANSA
VOLUNTEERED THAT THE NEW MAYOR OF LJUBLJANA, ZORAN JANKOVIC,
WOULD LIKELY BE MUCH MORE RESPONSIVE THAN HIS PREDECESSOR.


12. (C) COMMENT: JANSA HAD A TIGHT SCHEDULE, SO SOME OF THE
ISSUES--THE ERASED, ROMA, HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT, SLOVENIA'S TIP
RECORD, DISCUSSION OF SLOVENIA'S AFGHAN AND KOSOVO
DEPLOYMENTS--WERE NOT COVERED. JANSA IS PROBABLY THE MOST
STRATEGIC THINKER IN HIS GOVERNMENT, AND HE WAS MOST
COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT THE EU SUMMIT HE HAD JUST RETURNED
FROM AND OTHER FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES ON HIS PLATE. HIS
IGNORANCE ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THE TWO DEFENSE PROCUREMENT
DECISIONS WAS A BIT DISINGENUOUS, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE KNOW
THAT AS SLOVENIA'S FORMER DEFENSE MINISTER HE FOLLOWS THESE
ISSUES. FURTHERMORE, BOTH COM AND FORMER COM AND GENERAL
DYNAMICS ADVISOR VIC JACKOVICH HAD RAISED THE PATRIA DEAL
WITH HIM SHORTLY AFTER THE DECISION WAS ANNOUNCED. THE
ENTIRE PATRIA DEAL HAS SMELLED FISHY FROM THE GET-GO, AND
NOW, WITH THE MOST RECENT SELLING A LARGE PART OF SISTEMSKA
TEHNIKA TO THE MAIN SUBCONTRACTOR FOR PATRIA, IT LOOKS
PARTICULARLY SUSPICIOUS. WE WILL WAIT TO LEARN, ONCE THE
DETAILS ARE OUT, WHAT IN FACT THE TWO SIDES HAVE AGREED TO.
END COMMENT.
ROBERTSON