SLOVAK RESPONSE TO NOVEMBER GAERC DEMARCHE

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000480 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/CE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL EU LO SUBJECT: SLOVAK RESPONSE TO NOVEMBER GAERC DEMARCHE REF: Konnick email 11/9/09 ¶1. PolOff delivered referenced talking points on November 13 to Albin Otruba, European Correspondent at the Slovak MFA. Otruba agreed that EU cooperation with Russia is vital, and said that the Slovaks are interested in an "early warning" agreement on energy supply issues. Otruba also said that Russia should cooperate with the EU mission in Georgia and that they would be pushing for humanitarian access to South Ossetia and Abkhazia. ¶2. Otruba said that Slovakia shares our concerns about Ukraine's inability (or unwillingness) to meet the IMF conditions, and said that he was pessimistic this would change during the pre-electoral period. However, he said that Slovakia will participate in the Ukrainian Foreign Minister's meeting with the EU "Groups of Friends" on the margins of the GAERC. Otruba said the informal group, which is comprised of many of the new EU countries plus U.K. and Sweden, will impress upon FM Poroshenko the importance of fiscal discipline and commitment to reform. Otruba also said that the December 4 EU-Ukraine Summit in Kyiv will allow the EU to send the firm message to the Ukrainian people that the EU wants a European future for Ukraine, and to discuss future prospects for an association agreement and a free trade area. ¶3. On Somalia, Otruba confirmed that the EU will discuss preparation of a mission to Uganda for security sector reform, and agreed that close U.S.-EU cooperation is essential. EDDINS