SLOVAKIA: UPCOMING VISIT OF PRESIDENT GASPAROVIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000663

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NCE, NEA/ELA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2017
TAGS: PREL LO SY
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA: UPCOMING VISIT OF PRESIDENT GASPAROVIC
TO SYRIA

REF: VIKMANIS-KELLER-BALL EMAIL 12/10/07 BRATISLAVA 661

Classified By: Ambassador Vincent Obsitnik, for reasons 1.4 b and d


1. (C) Summary. President Gasparovic and Defense Minister
Kasicky will make a one-day visit to Syria on December 18 to
meet with Slovak peacekeepers deployed to the UNDOF Mission
in the Golan Heights. Gasparovic also will meet briefly with
President Asad. In his first meeting with President
Gasparovic, Ambassador Obsitnik encouraged him to deliver a
firm message to the SARG on Lebanon, the peace process and
human rights. Gasparovic appeared to be receptive to the
Ambassador's request. Separately, DCM and PolEcon Chief
discussed U.S. concerns about the peace process, Lebanon and
the human rights situation in Syria with the President's
Foreign Policy Advisor, Deputy FM Strofova and other MFA
officals and urged them to ensure that President Gasparovic's
talking points included these issues. End Summary.


2. (C) Following the presentation of credentials (ref b),
Ambassador Obsitnik used the occasion of his first one-on-one
meeting with President Gasparovic to deploy ref a points on
Syria. The Ambassador encouraged Gasparovic to deliver a
strong message to President Asad about the need to take a
constructive approach towards the peace process and relations
with other countries in the region, including Lebanon.
Gasparovic said he agreed on the need to build on the recent
Annapolis Conference and that he would raise this and other
issues with Asad.


3. (C) On the margins of the credentialing ceremony, DCM
stressed to Presidential Foreign Policy Advisor Jan Foltin
and Deputy Foreign Minister Diana Strofova our concern that
Syria is not playing a constructive role in the process. DCM
noted that human rights situation in Syria is dismal, with
political detainees being held by the government and strong
limits on freedom of travel. Foltin seemed surprised by the
comments, noting that he thought that things had gotten
better. When PolEcon chief raised the visit with Marian
Tomasik, Director of the MFA Middle East Department, he
expressed chagrin about the President's decision. He noted
that the President's office was focused mainly on the trip's
domestic angle, i.e., the need to demonstrate support for the
troops. When the SARG made clear that it expected that
Gasparovic would meet with Asad, there was little thought on
the part of the President's office as to the potential
ramifications and pitfalls of such a meeting. The visit was
presented to the MFA as a fait accompli, Tomsasik said, and
it was working now to make the best of the situation by
advising the President to deliver appropriate messages to
Asad. On December 14, FM Kubis's Chef de Cabinet, Miro Jenca,
called the DCM to ask what points we would like President
Gasparovic to raise and pledged to do his best to ensure that
they were made.


4. (C) Comment. We hope that the fact that the Ambassador
raised our concerns will have at least some impact on
Gasparovic's approach to Asad. To further emphasize our
point, DCM cited our condemnation of the December 12 bombing
in Beirut as reason for a strong message of non-interference
in Lebanon's internal affairs. The MFA is fully aware of
Syria's behavior and included a none-too-subtle reference to
Syria in its own statement on the bombing and assassination
of General al Hajj: "...the Slovak Foreign Minister calls on
all Lebanese political parties as well as other interested
parties in the region to cease any activity that could
threaten the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon." End
Comment.
OBSITNIK