SLOVAKS PLAN COUNTER-TERRORISM WORKSHOP IN

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000169 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER XH SUBJECT: SLOVAKS PLAN COUNTER-TERRORISM WORKSHOP IN BRATISLAVA ¶1. Ambassador Khalilzad met on February 22 with the Slovak Permanent Representative Peter Burian and Swiss Deputy Permanent Representative Andreas Baum to discuss their project, "the International Process on Global Counter-Terrorism Co-operation" (Process). Burian said that the purpose of the Process, sponsored by Costa Rica, Japan, Slovakia and Switzerland, is to prepare the ground for the review of the U.N. Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (A/Res/60/288),which will take place in September. ¶2. Burian told Ambassador Khalilzad that Slovakia will host a workshop, March 17-18 in Bratislava entitled "Engaging with Regional, Sub-regional and Functional Bodies and Civil Society on Implementing the U.N. Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy." The Slovaks hope to attract counter-terrorism experts and have invited Mr. Zarate from the National Security Council and Ambassador Dailey from the State Department. Burian expressed the hope that they would attend or that the U.S. would be represented at a similarly high level. ¶3. Ambassador Khalilzad responded that counter-terrorism is an important priority for the U.S. and if the meeting focuses on implementation of the U.N. Strategy, then senior officials would be interested. Burian assured him that it would. He recalled his Chairmanship of the Security Council's 1540 Committee, which deals, inter alia, with nuclear, biological and chemical terrorism, and said had drawn on that experience in organizing the program. Burian provided a background paper describing the event (faxed IO/PSC). KHALILZAD