FM KUBIS ON KOSOVO, MD AND ISAF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000368

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS YI KO RU UNSC PHUM LO
SUBJECT: FM KUBIS ON KOSOVO, MD AND ISAF

REF: A. BRATISLAVA 275


B. BRATISLAVA 236

Classified By: Ambassador Rodolphe M. Vallee for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
)


1. (C) Summary/introduction: In a frank, productive 60-minute
conversation June 20, FM Jan Kubis told the Ambassador:
- Slovakia must have a UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR)
in order to recognize Kosovo, but allowed that a mission
under the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) might
be possible even without Slovakia's support.
- He appreciated the U.S. reaction to the Russian offer of
cooperation on Missile Defense (MD) and said there should be
little further criticism of MD in Slovakia now that NATO has
given its tacit blessing.
- Slovakia is in the "pre-initial" phase of working out what
assets to contribute to ISAF when their current mission in
Kandahar ends in Summer 2008.
- PM Robert Fico will attend "The Croatia Summit 2007" in
Dubrovnik on July 6-7.
End summary/introduction.

KOSOVO
--------------

2. (C) Kubis said a UNSCR is a "must-have" for Slovakia to
recognize an independent Kosovo or support an EU Common
Position, but that Slovakia would never block an ESDP mission
for Kosovo. Kubis is pleased with the latest (June 20)
version of the draft UNSCR on Kosovo and said that
sacrificing "sui generis" language would be "a price Slovakia
is willing to pay for a UN resolution" that the Russians will
not veto.


3. (C) If a UNSCR is vetoed by Russia, Kubis predicted that
the "courage and wisdom to move forward" exists in the EU,
but that doing so on a legal basis will be a dilemma for
lawyers to work out. Kubis said he has clearly warned the
U.S. and EU partners that unilateral action is the worst case
scenario. Without a UNSCR, Slovakia and other unnamed EU
Member States would be unable to support an EU Common
Position on Kosovo or to recognize independence. Such
recognition would have of no chance of surviving an assault
within the Slovak Parliament. Kubis predicted that
recognition by the U.S. or EU partners without a UNSCR would
lead to a split in the EU that could threaten any ESDP
Mission to Kosovo, but that Slovakia would not be the Member
State that blocked an ESDP mission for Kosovo.


4. (C) Kubis said the read-out he had received from the
recent Quint meeting in Paris indicated that "no unilateral
action will be taken." "We need Russia for a Security Council
Resolution - and we (Slovakia) need a resolution."


5. (C) Kubis said that German Chancellor Merkel had
"intervened" with PM Fico regarding a new proposal for Kosovo
the PM had addressed in a letter to her and that this issue
was no longer on the table. According to Kubis the only draft
papers still being considered for discussion by the European
Council contain no surprises.


6. (SBU) Kubis was very grateful for the close cooperation
between the U.S. and Slovak Missions to the UN and
appreciated the concern the U.S. had shown for Slovak
proposals and sensitivities.

MISSILE DEFENSE
--------------

7. (C) Kubis said the recent visit of U.S. experts on MD was
appreciated and helpful. He has seen that the visit built
confidence and created political support within both MFA and
MOD for MD. Kubis was obviously nonplussed that Slovakia had
been unable to host a classified briefing on MD for lack of
an appropriate conference room, but he assured the Ambassador
that the embarrassment had inspired his staff and that MFA
would have an approved room built as soon as possible.


8. (C) Kubis was pleased with the Russian offer to host MD
assets in Azerbaijan and the U.S. response to the offer -
which Kubis suggested was likely thought out by the U.S. side
in advance. Kubis said he - and everyone else - understood
that the Russian offer was a political one and not a
practical substitute for the radar in the Czech Republic.
Still, the offer put forward an implicit Russian
acknowledgment of the Iranian threat and demonstrated that

BRATISLAVA 00000368 002 OF 002


the U.S. is genuinely willing to cooperate with Russia.
Because of this, Kubis said he is now able to say "with clear
eyes" that Slovakia supports the U.S. MD plans. Kubis
predicted that we "shouldn't be hearing too many more
statements on MD from politicians in Slovakia." (Comment. We
don't think PM Fico has the discipline to contain himself.
End comment.)

AFGHANISTAN - ISAF
--------------

9. (C) Slovakia is in the "pre-initial" stage of considering
what contribution it will make to ISAF upon the completion of
its current mission at the airport in Kandahar in Summer

2008. Kubis said that embedding soldiers in an OMLT is just
one option under consideration but that it is still "way too
early" to get into any specifics. Kubis suspected that press
reports of a Slovak commitment to embed trainers in ISAF had
confused Slovakia with Slovenia.


10. (C) Kubis said that Slovak Ambassador to NATO Igor
Slobodnik has discussed various concepts with PM Fico,
President Gasparovic and himself. Kubis said he has told the
PM that concrete options should be identified internally as
soon as possible so that they can be examined "fully and from
each angle" before a political decision is made. (Comment.
Slobodnik had told Ambassador previously that he would
discuss options for Slovak contributions to ISAF with the PM
directly, rather than with the Defense Minister Frantisek
Kasicky, since only the PM could make these decisions. Kubis'
failure to mention Kasicky among the people that Slobodnik
has consulted suggests he may be trying to have a decision
reached above the DefMin's level. End comment.) Kubis said
that he and Slobodnik are hoping to be ready with an
implementable option immediately when the Slovak engagement
in Kandahar ends next Summer. (Comment. We read all of this
as the amount of time Kubis and Slobodnik think they need to
bring PM Fico around. End comment.)

JAN SLOTA
--------------

11. (SBU) The Ambassador put Kubis on notice that the U.S.
was displeased by recent statements by Jan Slota, Head of the
ruling coalition Slovak National Party (SNS),who claimed
that the U.S. was involved in the politically-charged assault
case of an ethnic-Hungarian student (Ref B). The Ambassador
told Kubis that we had spoken to the PM's office and to the
SNS Spokesman, and let them know that if Slota chooses to
drag the U.S. into what should be a court-driven, domestic
issue, we will respond publicly.


12. (C) Kubis said that he will not respond to all of Slota's
statements since doing so would serve Slota's interests. He
said that his opinion of Slota should be clear enough from
his past statements, but emphasized that "this person does
not express the views of my government or my country. Full
stop." Kubis said that Slota is the Slovak equivalent of the
Hungarian Fidesz MP Zsolt Nemeth.

UNHCR AND BELARUS
--------------

13. (U) Kubis said that Slovakia has been consistent in its
position on Belarus and Cuba, and will continue to support
democratic change from its new position on the UN Human
Rights Council.

PM TO ATTEND CONFERENCE
--------------

14. (SBU) PM Robert Fico will attend "The Croatia Summit
2007" in Dubrovnik on July 6-7 and will then stay in Croatia
for two weeks of vacation. Kubis will inform PM Fico that A/S
Fried also plans to attend the conference.
VALLEE