SLOVAKIA: INITIAL MFA RESPONSE TO IRAN NIE IS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000645 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA, EUR/NCE E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2017 TAGS: PREL LO IR SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA: INITIAL MFA RESPONSE TO IRAN NIE IS ENCOURAGING REF: STATE 162558 BRATISLAVA 623 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Lawrence R. Silverman for Reasons 1.4 b and d ¶1. (C) Charge, accompanied by the British Ambassador, reviewed ref A points with MFA Political Director Roman Buzek on December 5. PolEcon Chief also discussed the NIE judgments with MFA Director for Security Affairs Juraj Podhorsky on December 4. Buzek expressed firm agreement with Charge and the UK Ambassador on the importance of maintaining international pressure on the Iranians at this time and noted that the estimate's key findings with respect to enrichment activities and ballistic missile development confirm a continued threat. Buzek also took on board Charge's points regarding the need to maintain UNSC credibility on the Iranian issue in light of the fact that Iran continues to flaunt its UN (and IAEA) obligations. Buzek also briefed Charge on his November 27-28 trip to Tehran. Buzek and his main Iranian interlocutor, Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheeri discussed Iran's IAEA obligations, human rights, Afghanistan, energy and economic cooperation and Kosovo. Although admittedly the trip took place before the release of the NIE, Buzek found his interlocutors "less self-confident" than previously of their ability to resist the international community. Buzek provided Charge with a copy of the report on the visit the MFA distributed to EU partners in COREU channels. Below is the text: ¶2. (C) Begin Text: Slovakia wishes to inform partners that the Political Director of the MFA Roman Buzek visited Iran on November 27-28. He met with Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheeri, Director of the International Political Organizations Hamide Baedinedjad and the Chairman of the Parliamentary Friendship Group Hamid Reza Haji Babeai. The visit was initiated by the Iranian side as a follow-up to the visit of Minister Manoucher Mottaki in Slovakia in March ¶2007. Both sides stressed the interest to further develop mutually favorable economic cooperation. Mr. Buzek reaffirmed the interest to conclude standard economic agreements (on protection of investments and double taxation) as a precondition for further development of the economic cooperation which at present does not respond to the real potential of the two countries. Mr. Buzek took up the question of the protection of human rights including the case of the two Kurdish journalists sentenced to capital punishment. He also expressed the concern of Slovakia over the deterioration of the situation in Iran in the field of human rights protection recently. Invited the Iranian side to continue the dialogue on human rights with the EU. Mr. Buzek expressed deep concern over the smuggling of various weapons to Afghanistan and appealed to the Iranian side as a neighboring country to improve its overall border control. Slovakia, as a country taking part in the ISAF operation, is deeply concerned over the possibility of attacks against its staff conducted by weapons smuggled into Afghanistan from the neighboring countries. Simultaneously, he appreciated the efforts of the Iranian side in the field of the control of the drug smuggling as an example of effective border control. As a country dependent on the production of electricity at nuclear power plants Slovakia supports all countries' activities in the field of the peaceful use of nuclear energy under condition of fulfillment of all IAEA and NPT guidelines including IAEA's Additional Protocol. The Iraniain side reiterated standard arguments on its readiness to cooperate with the international community including the reference to the most recent report of IAEA Secretary General Mohammed elBaradei. The Iranian sides believes elBaraderi's report is a confirmation of goodwill and strongly requests to withdraw the issue from the UN Security Council. Deputy FM Bagheeri indicated that the Iranian side in principle supports UDI of Kosovo. He informed that the final position of Iran on the issue will rather depend on the recommendation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. ¶A. Bagheeri expressed the hope that President Musharraf of Pakistan will be able to find a compromise with one of the opposition leaders (preferably with Benazir Bhutto) and thus will keep the domestic political situation in Pakistan stable and quit. End Text. SILVERMAN