Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PRAGUE9
2006-01-03 16:07:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Prague
Cable title:
CZECHS ON JOINT U.S.-EU STATEMENT TO LUKASHENKO:
how-toVZCZCXRO1565 OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHPG #0009 0031607 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 031607Z JAN 06 FM AMEMBASSY PRAGUE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6792 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHSK/AMEMBASSY MINSK 0170
C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000009
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/02/2016
TAGS: PREL KDEM EUN BO OSCE EZ
SUBJECT: CZECHS ON JOINT U.S.-EU STATEMENT TO LUKASHENKO:
JUST DO IT
REF: 2005 STATE 232581
Classified By: CDA Michael Dodman for reasons 1.4 b+d.
C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000009
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/02/2016
TAGS: PREL KDEM EUN BO OSCE EZ
SUBJECT: CZECHS ON JOINT U.S.-EU STATEMENT TO LUKASHENKO:
JUST DO IT
REF: 2005 STATE 232581
Classified By: CDA Michael Dodman for reasons 1.4 b+d.
1. (C) CDA and Poloff met January 3 with Tomas Szunyog, Czech
MFA's Director of the Eastern Europe Department, to discuss
the proposed U.S.-EU joint statement to Belarus President
Lukashenko urging him not to run in the presidential
election. Szunyog said the Czechs' support the U.S. position
100%, but warned that some other EU states will not accept
the strong language in the current version of the statement.
Szunyog urged the U.S. to be flexible when negotiating the
final text, and emphasized that the actual text of the
statement is far less important than delivering a joint
statement as soon as possible.
2. (C) On the issue of V-4 observers for the March
presidential election in Belarus, Szunyog said the Czechs may
be willing to participate in monitoring, but he questioned
the value of monitoring this election for the following
reasons. First, as a practical matter, there is insufficient
time to prepare a "long-term" monitoring campaign with the
election just two months away. Second, he questioned the
utility of monitoring the election if Lukashenko's candidacy
is deemed illegal, as a Lukashenko victory would be invalid
by definition. (Further to this comment, Szunyog suggested
that the U.S. and the EU should decide in advance how they
will react when Lukashenko wins the election, as is
expected.) Third, election monitoring is arguably unnecessary
because ballot stuffing isn't the problem. Rather, the
problem is that the campaign itself is unfair: opposition
candidates have no access to media, and groups cannot protest
the Lukashenko regime. Nevertheless, Szunyog said the Czechs
would support the decision of the ODIHR. He added the
Hungarians have agreed to take the lead among V-4 countries
if the election is monitored.
DODMAN
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/02/2016
TAGS: PREL KDEM EUN BO OSCE EZ
SUBJECT: CZECHS ON JOINT U.S.-EU STATEMENT TO LUKASHENKO:
JUST DO IT
REF: 2005 STATE 232581
Classified By: CDA Michael Dodman for reasons 1.4 b+d.
1. (C) CDA and Poloff met January 3 with Tomas Szunyog, Czech
MFA's Director of the Eastern Europe Department, to discuss
the proposed U.S.-EU joint statement to Belarus President
Lukashenko urging him not to run in the presidential
election. Szunyog said the Czechs' support the U.S. position
100%, but warned that some other EU states will not accept
the strong language in the current version of the statement.
Szunyog urged the U.S. to be flexible when negotiating the
final text, and emphasized that the actual text of the
statement is far less important than delivering a joint
statement as soon as possible.
2. (C) On the issue of V-4 observers for the March
presidential election in Belarus, Szunyog said the Czechs may
be willing to participate in monitoring, but he questioned
the value of monitoring this election for the following
reasons. First, as a practical matter, there is insufficient
time to prepare a "long-term" monitoring campaign with the
election just two months away. Second, he questioned the
utility of monitoring the election if Lukashenko's candidacy
is deemed illegal, as a Lukashenko victory would be invalid
by definition. (Further to this comment, Szunyog suggested
that the U.S. and the EU should decide in advance how they
will react when Lukashenko wins the election, as is
expected.) Third, election monitoring is arguably unnecessary
because ballot stuffing isn't the problem. Rather, the
problem is that the campaign itself is unfair: opposition
candidates have no access to media, and groups cannot protest
the Lukashenko regime. Nevertheless, Szunyog said the Czechs
would support the decision of the ODIHR. He added the
Hungarians have agreed to take the lead among V-4 countries
if the election is monitored.
DODMAN