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