KUBIS CLAIMS SLOVAKIA STILL WITH EU WHEN KOSOVO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000199 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC SR KO LO SUBJECT: KUBIS CLAIMS SLOVAKIA STILL WITH EU WHEN KOSOVO GETS TO UNSC, BUT DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENT NEGATIVE REF: A. (A) BELGRADE 00435 ¶B. (B) BRATISLAVA 00190 Classified By: CDA Lawrence Silverman, for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: FM Jan Kubis continues to insist publicly that Slovakia's priority in the Balkans is to give Serbia a European perspective and that Slovakia will be with the EU in the UNSC, but demurs from responding publicly to direct questions about how Slovakia will vote on Kosovo (as it appears Kubis told A/S Fried by telephone April 2). Political Director Miroslav Lajcak (please protect) told CDA privately that Slovakia will vote in favour of Ahtisaari's plan at the UNSC, and that Kubis expects the vote will lead to a no-confidence vote on him in Parliament (as he mentioned to Amb. Polt, ref A). According to Lajcak, the FM reasons it will be better to face the no-confidence vote after a UNSC vote than before, so he continues to take a wait-and-see attitude towards Ahtisaari's plan when asked publicly. We urged Lajcak to ask FM Kubis to brief non-permanent members such as South Africa on this stance, to correct any impressions created by the parliamentary vote here. Lajcak heard from Russia's Ambassador to Belgrade Moscow's concerns about using a veto, but Lajcak thinks Moscow is heading in that direction. Slovakia's speaking points for the April 3 UNSC, as provided by Lajcak, follow in paragraph 5. Lajcak thought Slovakia's delegation would avoid talking to the media after the meeting, given the difficult environment back here. End summary. ¶2. (C) Speaking to a conference on "Change and Continuity in Slovak Foreign Policy," Kubis did not answer a direct question about how Slovakia would vote if Ahtisaari's plan came up for a vote today, but said Slovakia would work cooperatively and constructively with EU partner countries in the UNSC. Asked about press reports of Slovakia's stance at the Gymnich, Kubis said it was true that Slovakia could not express its support for the plan now, but stated that German FM Steinmeier's summary of the meeting was the only statement that was truly authoritative on the EU (including Slovakia's) stance. (Ref A) ¶3. (C) CDA requested Lajcak to have FM Kubis and the Slovak mission to UN to approach other countries, especially Indonesia and South Africa, to reiterate Slovakia's suppoort for an EU consensus in the UNSC, in order to be sure they understand the distinction between the position of the Slovak Parliament and the position the Slovak government will take in the UNSC. Lajcak agreed this would be a good idea and said he would speak with PermRep Burian. ¶4. (C) We raised with Lajcak PM Fico's reported remarks to the media March 31 that Slovakia will support the UNSC resolution on the future status of Kosovo if Slovak inputs to the UNSCR are included. This is consistent with Kubis's March 28 message to the Ambassador that Slovakia would submit specific suggestions for the UNSCR (ref B). Nonetheless, Lajcak told CDA April 2 that Slovakia now does not have specific suggestions to make, and that saying it does is mostly intended as a sop to domestic public opinion. That said, any language in the resolution or in statements surrounding it that referred to the "sui generis" nature of the Kosovo solution would be useful in Slovakia (Comment: We understand Kubis also made this point to A/S Fried by telephone April 2). Lajcak said that Kubis had been unhappy with him for allowing the NATO SYG to announce consensus in support for Ahtisaari's plan, but Lajcak stood his ground. In the end, Lajcak said, Kubis accepted that it was better than to have had the NATO SYG be put in a position where he would have had to list specific reservations of Member States. Lajcak said he was not happy with PM Fico's remarks that FM Kubis "would have to work hard at the UNSC," but had not had a chance to hear what Kubis thought of them. He still thought Kubis believed he had sufficient support from the PM to vote yes. SLOVAKIA'S SPEAKING POINTS FOR APRIL 3, UNSC -------------- ¶5. (C) Lajcak provided us the following text to be used by Amb. Burian in the April 3 meeting: Begin text. "UN Security Council Speaking Points, April 3, 2007 - we take note of the proposal and recommendations of the Special Envoy of the UN SG Martti Ahtisaari; - we acknowledge with appreciation the clarity of the position of the UN Secretary General when he transmitted the BRATISLAVA 00000199 002 OF 002 proposal and recommendations to the SC; - we welcome the opening of the negotiations at the Security Council on the P R as well as on a new UNSC resolution on Kosovo on this basis; that resolution will have to take into account legitimate interests of Belgrade and Pristina; - the issue of Kosovo requires an urgent attention of the UNSC and a speedy adoption of a clear UNSC resolution that will reflect the objective reality, will provide the necessary legal basis for a future engagement of the international community, including the EU and NATO, and will prevent the risk of a vacuum as well as temptation to take unilateral action from any side; - such unilateral action cannot provide a legal basis for inter alia any future EU action, be it legal, political, or operational; - a solution of the status of Kosovo will have to have a potential to contribute to the strengthening of stability, prosperity, international and regional security, and to the fulfillment of the European integration objective for all the countries of the region; - any solution of the Kosovo status question will have to be recognized as a sui generis one that will not constitute a legal precedent, notably with regard to territorial integrity and inviolability of borders in Europe and elsewhere, especially when issues of minorities are present; this position should be reflected in the UNSC resolution. - during the discussions on the UNSC resolution, Slovakia will support all proposals that will bring the process of the determination of the future status of Kosovo closer to a mutually acceptable solution; - there is no reason to believe that future direct negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina could lead to a mutually acceptable solution; - we support and appreciate the guiding and leading role and responsibility the Contact Group has had in the process of searching for a future status of Kosovo. - the significance of the work of the CG for a successful solution of the Kosovo status issue will increase in the coming period. We therefore urge the CG to make all the effort to renew its previously existing unity of opinion and position which is an important precondition for a successful adoption of the UNSC decision on a future status of Kosovo and for its implementation; - the Slovak Parliament expects that the Government of Slovakia will engage in searching for a common solution of the future arrangements in the Western Balkans in cooperation with other member states of the EU and with a clear perspective of integration of the countries of the WB into the EU; - during the negotiations at the UN SC, Slovakian will act in close cooperation and unity with other EU member states having in mind that the EU is called upon to play a key role in Kosovo and in the region after the decision on the future status of Kosovo will have been taken." End text. SILVERMAN