SLOVAK RESPONSE TO UNSC 1540 DEMARCHE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000477 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/UNP, EUR/NCE E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/24/2017 TAGS: UNSC PARM PREL PTER LO SUBJECT: SLOVAK RESPONSE TO UNSC 1540 DEMARCHE REF: STATE 116085 Classified By: CDA Lawrence R. Silverman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 1.(U) Polecon Chief delivered reftel points to head of the MFA's UNSC Coordination Unit Ivan Lancaric on August 23. Lancaric stated that the GOS shares U.S. views on Indonesian and South African-proposed changes to draft letters to 1540 Committee member states. Lancaric and his deputy, Vladimir Lomen, stressed repeatedly, however, the "fine line" that Slovakia, as Chair of the committee, must walk. Slovak PermRep Burian's primary role, according to Lancaric, is to ensure the committee's "efficiency," as opposed to advocacy of a national position. Drawing on reftel points, Polecon Chief stressed that the proposals would undermine both the efficiency and the effectiveness of the committee, not to mention its transparency. ¶2. (C) Lancaric indicated that the Slovak UN Mission had approached both the South Africans and the Indonesians regarding their objections to publication of country-specific matrices on the committee's website, adding that Slovak PermRep Burian would likely do so as well. For now, however, diplomacy has shifted from New York to capitals. Lancaric pledged to underscore to PermRep Burian U.S. concerns, and to update the Embassy on his latest thinking. Comment: Clearly, the Slovaks hope that we will do some heavy lifting on this issue. Burian is often willing to be less "nuanced" than the MFA. However, we are prepared to reiterate at higher levels in the MFA the message that Slovakia's signature UNSC initiative will be undermined if, in the interest of "efficiency,"the 1540 committee loses a key tool for analyzing implementation and for coordinating and targeting assistance. End comment. SILVERMAN