GAERC MEETING: SLOVAKIA HOPES TO BECOME "LEADER ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000240 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2013 TAGS: EUN PHUM PREL PGOV ZL IR IZ IS SY LE SO AF GG, LO SUBJECT: GAERC MEETING: SLOVAKIA HOPES TO BECOME "LEADER ON AFGHANISTAN" REF: A. SECSTATE 54639 ¶B. BRATISLAVA 237 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Lawrence Silverman for reasons 1 .4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered Ref A points to MFA European Correspondent Albin Otruba on May 22. In preparing for the upcoming GAERC, FM Kubis is, according to Otruba, putting the greatest effort into a speech on his recent trip to Afghanistan (Ref B). Otruba speculated that the Foreign Minister wants to be recognized as a leader on Afghanistan within the EU in order to strengthen his ability to promote a more robust Slovak policy, including military engagement, than PM Fico may now support. ¶2. (C) On the Balkans, Otruba said Slovakia has not been as active in conversation within the EU in the run-up to May's GAERC as it had in the past when it lobbied for an early Stabilization and Association Agreement for Serbia and supported the French plan to extend visa-free travel to Serbian citizens. Otruba said that FM Kubis's comments on the Western Balkans will focus on the need to find an accommodation between UNMIK and EULEX. Otruba believes the GAERC will produce a strong statement in support of the pro-EU parties in Serbia. ¶3. (C) Otruba said that CUBA will not be discussed at this GAERC. He described Slovakia's position on Cuba, however, as being "critical," but not as "radical" as that of the Czech Republic. Otruba described Cuban political prisoners as "a real problem," but said Slovakia believes dialogue with CUBA can be helpful. ¶4. (C) Otruba asked about the status of the U.S. Embassy in Belarus and if the U.S. sees any hope for a thaw in relations. Otruba said he has many good friends in the Slovak NGO community who work with Belarus, and that he has heard first-hand that the situation is becoming worse. He predicted, however, that the West is not powerful enough to force change in Belarus without Russian acquiescence, adding that the current situation in Georgia would likely lead the Russians to stand in the way of any rapprochement between Belarus and the west. OBSITNIK