SLOVENIA'S NEW UN AMBASSADOR PAYS COURTESY CALL ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000060

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

EUR/NCE FOR SSADLE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2017
TAGS: OFDP PINR PREL UNGA SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA'S NEW UN AMBASSADOR PAYS COURTESY CALL ON
COM


Classified By: COM for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (U) On January 30 Slovenia's newly appointed Ambassador to
the United Nations Sanja Stiglic (pronounced SAN-ya
SHTEE-glitz) paid a courtesy call on COM before her planned
departure for the United States on February 3. Stiglic, a
career diplomat, is the fourth Slovenian Ambassador to the
United Nations and will replace Ambassador Roman Kirn
(currently Director of the MFA's Division of the Americas).
This is a return posting to the UN for Ambassador Stiglic;
she served at Slovenia's representation to the UN from 1997
to 2002 (extending her four year term to five). Stiglic
worked under Slovenia's first and second Ambassadors to the
UN (Danilo Turk and Ernest Petric) and was in New York during
Slovenia's first stint on the UN Security Council in 1998 and

1999. In 2002 Stiglic returned to Slovenia to serve in the
Office of the Foreign Minister and most recently as the Head
of the Division for Relations with the Countries of Western,
Northern, and Central Europe.


2. (U) Stiglic was enthusiastic about getting out to post,
noting that the next year will be very busy as Slovenia
prepares to hold the EU Presidency in 2008. She said that
the office will expand from six to 15 diplomats for the
Presidency and that they may be forced to move offices due to
space concerns. She told COM that talk of moving Slovenia's
New York City consulate -- which shares space with Slovenia's
UN representation office -- was due to cost concerns, the
departure from New York City of many Slovenian businesses and
banks, and the need to have representation in key Western and
Mid-West cities, such as Chicago. Still, she said she
supports keeping the consulate in the city. She also noted
that the EU Presidency will offer a very good opportunity to
promote Slovenia in the U.S. and around the world.


3. (C) COMMENT. Stiglic spoke fondly of the United States
and told COM she has a sister, an AMCIT ballet dancer, who
has lived in Chicago for over 10 years. Though young for an
Ambassador she is experienced and confident, and weathered a
particularly stormy period at the MFA several years ago
without apparent permanent damage (when Foreign Minister
Dimitrij Rupel was dismissed and briefly replaced by Ivo
Vajgl in 2004). Stiglic will strongly advocate for Slovenia
to win a seat on the Human Rights Council (HRC) this year
(she mentioned this and also inquired about whether the U.S.
would be a candidate for the HRC during the meeting with
COM). FM Rupel urged COM to meet Stiglic, says he thinks
highly of her, and she should have easy and direct access to
him when she takes up her new responsibilities. She will be
an important resource for us in New York during the EU
Presidency. END COMMENT.


4. (U) BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION. Ambassador Sanja Stiglic
was born in Kranj, Slovenia on March 10, 1970 and holds a
University Degree in Law from the University of Ljubljana.
She joined the Slovenian foreign service in 1995 and began
her career as an attach at the Department for Neighboring
Countries at the MFA and at the Slovenian Embassy in Zagreb,
Croatia. From 1996 to 1997 she worked as an Advisor in the
Office of the Foreign Minister. She served at Slovenia's
representation to the UN from 1997 to 2002 as Second
Secretary and then as First Secretary, and also served as the

SIPDIS
Alternate Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the
UN Security Council in 1998 and 1999. She returned to
Slovenia in 2002, serving first as Counselor to the
Government and Deputy Head of the Office of the Foreign
Minister, and then as State Undersecretary and Head of the
Office of the Foreign Minister in 2003 and 2004. Most
recently, from 2005 to 2006, she was Head of the Division for
Relations with the Countries of Western, Northern, and
Central Europe. In addition to Slovenian, she speaks
English, German, Spanish, and Croatian. END BIOGRAPHICAL
INFORMATION.
ROBERTSON