Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08LJUBLJANA70
2008-02-15 07:21:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ljubljana
Cable title:  

SLOVENIA WANTS A NATO INVITATION FOR MACEDONIA

Tags:  MARR NATO PREL GR MK SI 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9152
RR RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHLJ #0070 0460721
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 150721Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6451
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0161
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000070 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/NCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2018
TAGS: MARR NATO PREL GR MK SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA WANTS A NATO INVITATION FOR MACEDONIA

REF: SECSTATE 14821

Classified By: Charge Maryruth Coleman, Reasons 1.4 (b,d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000070

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/NCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2018
TAGS: MARR NATO PREL GR MK SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA WANTS A NATO INVITATION FOR MACEDONIA

REF: SECSTATE 14821

Classified By: Charge Maryruth Coleman, Reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) On February 14, A/DCM met with MFA Head of Security
Policy Division Stanislav Vidovic to outline our current
thinking on Macedonia's candidacy and to encourage Slovenia
to join our calls to both Skopje and Athens to use the Nimetz
process to reach a solution on the name issue before
Bucharest. Vidovic welcomed our points, expaining that FM
Rupel planned to meet with the viiting Macedonian Speaker of
Parliament on Februay 15. A/DCM urged the MFA to take
advantage of the visit to encourage Macedonia to show
sufficient flexibility to resolve the name issue. Vidovic
was noncommittal, arguing that NATO should not allow Greece
to veto Macedonia over the name issue.


2. (C) Vidovic stressed his concern about our point that "any
failure to resolve this issue and extend an invitation to
Macedonia should not engender action to deny other
applications judged ready for future membership." He said
his recommendation to the GOS would be to insist on all
three. He explained that a NATO acceptance of only Croatia
would send bad signals to the rest of the western Balkans and
create problems with the future enlargement of the EU.


3. (C) Comment: While Vidovic admitted he did not know how
the Slovenian authorities would react to his recommendation,
we expect his superiors to share his reasoning.
COLEMAN