SLOVENIA WILL NOT MAKE ANY BILATERAL PLEDGE AT THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000470 SIPDIS STATE FOR EEB/ODF, EUR/ACE AND EUR/CE E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2018 TAGS: EAID EFIN GG PREL RS EUN KMCA KCRS SI SUBJECT: SLOVENIA WILL NOT MAKE ANY BILATERAL PLEDGE AT THE GEORGIA DONORS' CONFERENCE REF: STATE 109212 Classified By: DCM B. Freden, Reasons 1.4 (b,d) (C) On October 15, Emboff met with Ambassador Ada Filip-Slivnik, Head of the MFA's Division for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, to encourage Slovenia to make a substantial bilateral pledge at the October 22 Georgia Donors' Conference (reftel). Filip-Slivnik explained that as it was the end of the year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not have any money remaining in its development assistance budget; thus Slovenia did not plan to make any pledges at the Donors' Conference. She noted, however, that the government had found 20,000 euros that it would provide to ITF for demining activities in Georgia. She added that Slovenia was thinking about how to support Georgia in the future. She indicated Slovenia probably would give in-kind rather than budgetary assistance, although she acknowledged Georgia's need for budgetary support. Filip-Slivnik mentioned that the MFA still had not decided who would represent Slovenia at the October 22 Conference; possibly FM Rupel would decide to go as one of his last acts in office. GHAFARI