FOREIGN MINISTER KUBIS WANTS TO CONCLUDE VWP MOU

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000104 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/NCE, EUR/ERA, CA/VO DHS FOR CONTI E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2018 TAGS: CVIS PREL CMGT LO SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER KUBIS WANTS TO CONCLUDE VWP MOU NEXT WEEK REF: SILVERMAN-GARBER EMAIL 3/07 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Lawrence R. Silverman ¶1. (C) Foreign Minister Kubis called Ambassador Obsitnik on March 7 to request that Secretary Chertoff add a visit to Bratislava following the JHA Ministerial in Ljubljana, i.e., March 13, so that the U.S. and Slovakia could sign the VWP MOU at that time. A voluble Kubis told the Ambassador that he was "very unhappy Brussels" and "didn't want to wait for the Commission." Per Kubis's request, Deputy Chief of Mission followed up with Juraj Nociar, MFA Director for European Affairs, to discuss further details. According to Nociar, the Slovak side was "working feverishly" to complete its review of the MOU (the version signed by the U.S. and the Czech Republic) with the goal of providing it to the Embassy by close of business March 7 or, at the latest, on March 10. (Note: the GOS had earlier indicated that Slovak comments to the draft HSPD-6 agreement would be ready shortly before Easter, although we would expect them to want to speed things up there, too.) Nociar said that Slovakia would suggest only a few "small" changes to the MOU. Nociar and DCM will speak again this afternoon. ¶2. (C) Comment and Action Request: FM Kubis is going out on a limb with this proposed Brussels end-run, but it's clear that he does not want Slovakia's options limited by the EC's plans for a Negotiating Mandate. Ambassador will attempt to reach DHS A/S Barth by phone to brief him on this development. We would expect Ambassador Kacer to take up the request in Washington. Given the tight timeline, Post requests Department's assistance in obtaining an early response to the Slovak request, so that we can get back to FM Kubis and, if necessary, begin to make logistical arrangements. OBSITNIK