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