CZECHS SUPPORT NATO GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000432 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/NCE, PM/RSAT FOR DOWLEY E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2016 TAGS: NATO MARR PREL EZ SUBJECT: CZECHS SUPPORT NATO GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE REF: STATE 56334 Classified By: Acting DCM Michael Dodman for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) ¶1. (C) Poloff April 24 discussed reftel demarche concerning the NATO "Global Partnership" initiative with Veronika Kuchynova Smigolova, Director of the MFA's Security Policy Department. Smigolova said the Czech Republic welcomed the initiative and had no significant concerns relating to the content of the U.S.-UK paper tabled on March 31. She praised the document as the best paper on partnerships. Many other proposals in recent memory had suggested only cosmetic changes. The International Secretarial especially was not expansive enough when suggesting reform proposals. Bolder plans like the U.S-UK paper could significantly benefit the organization. Smigolova said that any Czech concerns with the U.S.-UK paper were so minor that they could be discussed at the staff level at NATO. DODMAN