TFGG01: SLOVENIA OPPOSES RECOGNITION OF BREAKAWAY

C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000386

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/RUS (SZPILA)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/26/2018
TAGS: PREL RS GG EUN SI
SUBJECT: TFGG01: SLOVENIA OPPOSES RECOGNITION OF BREAKAWAY
REGIONS, SAYS COUNCIL TO SUPPORT MERKEL'S "NEIGHBORHOOD
CONFERENCE"

REF: A. SECSTATE 90978

B. LJUBLJANA 0371

Classified By: DCM Brad Freden, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY. Slovenia strongly opposes Russian
recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, saying that it
would be a setback to diplomatic efforts leading up to the
September 1 European Council meeting. The Council is
expected to endorse Chancellor Merkel's call for a
"neighborhood conference" on Georgia. Slovenia will push
for a statement in support of Georgia at the upcoming Bled
Strategic Forum. END SUMMARY

2.(C) DCM met August 26 with FM Rupel's Chief of Staff,
Ales Balut, to urge Slovenia to oppose Russian recognition
of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Balut acknowledged that a
decision by President Medvedev to follow the lead of the
Russian parliament by recognizing the two breakaway regions
would deal a major blow to European diplomatic efforts, and
he undertook to pass ref A points to FM Rupel. Slovenia
will continue to support the EU's efforts to work with
Russia to implement the Sarkozy plan, Balut said, and will
push back on Russian efforts to equate Kosovo with South
Ossetia and Abkhazia. Balut made reference to a proposal
by Chancellor Merkel for a "neighborhood conference" on
Georgia, saying that he expected the European Council to
adopt Merkel's proposal when it meets on September 1. He
also praised the Finnish OSCE Chairman-in-Office for his
proposals regarding observers, humanitarian assistance and
pullback of forces. Balut noted that Slovenia was already
in the process of identifying participants for any observer
mission that might be sent to Georgia under EU or OSCE
auspices.


3. (C) Balut said that Slovenia would push for a statement
supporting Georgia to come out of the Bled Strategic Forum,
which takes place in Slovenia August 31-September 1.
Originally billed as a discussion on energy and climate
change, the conference has been somewhat refocused in light
of recent events. Among those slated to participate in the
conference are Russian DFM Alexander Yakovenko, Gazprom
Chair Alexey Miller, Georgian Deputy PM Georgi Baramidze,
OSCE SecGen Marc Perrin de Brichambuat, and the Prime
Ministers of the Czech Republic and Latvia. In closing,
Balut reiterated what his boss recently told the
Ambassador: that the EU remains politically handicapped by
member states' dependence on Russian energy (ref B).


4. (C) COMMENT. Slovenia does not have the diplomatic heft
to confront Russia bilaterally or to influence decisively
events in Brussels, but their weight is clearly on our side
of the scale. The Bled Forum is another story: Slovenia,
as host, should be able to tip the scales in Georgia's
favor. We will continue to urge them to do so.


GHAFARI