SLOVAKIA HAS NO PLANS TO LEAVE KOSOVO

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000144 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/RPM CHRIS DAVY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MARR NATO KPKO KVIR LO SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA HAS NO PLANS TO LEAVE KOSOVO REF: SECSTATE 26179 ¶1. (SBU) Poloff discussed reftel points with Martin Pangrac at MFA's NATO desk on March 20. Pangrac said Slovakia has no plans to withdraw its forces from Kosovo. The Balkans is one of Slovakia's foreign policy priorities. ¶2. (SBU) Pangrac said he was dismayed by Spain's decision to withdraw from Kosovo, but admitted there is some sympathy for the Spanish position in Slovakia, which like Spain has not recognized Kosovo's independence. Pangrac guessed, however, that most Slovaks view the 139 Slovak troops currently serving in Kosovo as being there to protect the Serbian population, adding that it is a popular mission. EDDINS