FOREIGN MINISTER LAJCAK STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000089

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/CE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2019
TAGS: PREL LO
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER LAJCAK STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF
BILATERAL TIES

REF: BRATISLAVA 76

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., Eddins, for reasons 1.4 b and d


1. (C) Summary: In their initial meeting, Foreign Minister
Miro Lajcak and Charge discussed a wide range of issues
including bilateral relations, the global financial crisis,
Afghanistan, Western Balkans (already reported reftel) and
Ukraine. Lajcak opened the meeting by affirming that
Slovakia views the U.S. as its key strategic ally and,
through NATO, a guarantor of Slovak security. The Slovak
Government would like to deepen the bilateral relationship
and views the change in U.S. Administrations as an opening
for more intensive dialogue. Lajcak also emphasized the MFA's
new mandate to promote Slovak exports and encourage
investment. End Summary.


2. (C) FM Lajcak told Charge February 11 that he had
discussed U.S.-Slovak relations with Prime Minister Fico and
that the Prime Minister had expressed his view that the new
U.S. Administration could open the door to more "sincere" and
intensive bilateral ties. Lajcak reaffirmed his own positive
experiences working with the U.S. in the Balkans (reftel).
According to Lajcak, Fico personally expressed interest in a
visit to the U.S. at some point in the future.


3. (C) Lajcak confirmed that Slovakia's foreign policy
priorities remain the same -- with NATO and EU commitments
taking precedence -- but noted that the current economic
crisis had reordered them somewhat. Thus, Lajcak said he
wants to demonstrate to the PM that the MFA can play a
meaningful role in mitigating the effects of the crisis. To
that end, the MFA will promote Slovak exports, maintain close
communication with foreign investors, and use EU membership
to present and defend Slovakia's national interests. Charge
offered to have Embassy staff consult with MFA officials
about how the State Department, the Department of Commerce,
and other agencies divide responsibilities for
economic/commercial issues at overseas missions, given that
the Slovaks have had some difficulties organizing a foreign
commercial service of their own.


4. (C) Regarding Afghanistan, Lajcak stressed that Slovakia's
commitment would be sustained and hopefully increased --
particularly in the realm of development assistance and
reconstruction aid -- despite budgetary pressures. He was
pleased that Slovakia was increasing its troop strength in
Afghanistan. Charge encouraged continued increases, as well
as a decision by the Slovak government to give its troops a
more robust mandate.


5. (C) In response to Charge's question about relations with
Ukraine in the wake of the January gas crisis, Lajcak
downplayed previous comments by other GOS officials assessing
blame on Kyiv. He likened the episode to last year's events
in Georgia in the sense that Russia "was well prepared and
Ukraine handled the situation badly." Despite his initial
reluctance to apportion blame, Lajcak recounted how helpful
and open the Russians had been toward Slovak suggestions for
resolving the crisis, in contrast to the Ukrainians, whose
lack of responsiveness had greatly angered PM Fico.
Nevertheless, Lajcak assured us that Slovakia would continue
to support Ukraine's Euro-atlantic integration and stated his
intent to visit Kyiv in the near term.


6. (C) Charge commented on evolving U.S. and European energy
policy, noting that he expected it to be more intimately
linked to climate change concerns than in the past. He
stressed our desire to work closely with the EU and other
partners to address both energy security questions and
environmental challenges. Lajcak agreed that the one (and
probably the only) beneficial outcome of the crisis was a
heightened awareness throughout Europe of the need for a more
coherent EU energy policy and greater energy diversity.
This, Lajcak asserted, was one of Slovakia's top three
priorities.


7. (C) At the close of the meeting, Charge highlighted our
growing concerns about corruption and the investment climate
in Slovakia, noting that the Embassy is supporting a variety
of good governance and transparency programs being carried
out by NGOs such as Transparency International. Thus, Charge
added, Lajcak might see the U.S. Embassy's name in the press
in connection with our counter-corruption efforts. Lajcak
agreed that efforts to fight corruption were very important,
but urged that the Embassy bring any specific concerns about

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incidences of governmental corruption first to him, as such
matters often become fodder for internal political fights.


8. (C) Comment: As reported reftel, Lajcak is interested in
meeting the Secretary at the earliest opportunity and we
strongly endorse such a meeting. We are much less
enthusiastic about the prospect of any sort of Fico visit to
the U.S., and we will do nothing to encourage the Slovaks in
that direction -- although their Embassy in Washington may
well pursue it. On the question of Slovak-Ukraine relations,
in a subsequent conversation with A/DCM, Stefan Rozkopal
(please protect),Director of the MFA's Russia/CIS office,
suggested that Slovakia's policy toward Ukraine had in fact
shifted more substantially (and negatively) than Lajcak
implied. We will follow up with Rozkopal when he returns from
leave next week. For the time being, we will also take Lajcak
at his word on his professed willingness to address the
corruption/good governance agenda with us. In a February 18
telephone conversation regarding CODEL Cardin, Charge noted
our desire to include corruption in the discussion and Lajcak
readily agreed, although his subsequent comments to Senator
Cardin on the subject were largely comprised of platitudes
(septel). End Comment.

EDDINS