HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER'S MEETING WITH CHARGE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BUDAPEST 000501

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR S/GC AND EUR/CE JAMIE LAMORE. PLEASE PASS TO
NSC FOR JEFF HOVENIER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER OFDP LO HU
SUBJECT: HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER'S MEETING WITH CHARGE

REF: A. BUDAPEST 461

B. BUDAPEST 411

C. BUDAPEST 429

D. STATE 70576

Classified By: Acting P/E Counselor Jon Martinson, reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (SBU) Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Balazs requested a
meeting with Charge July 9 to discuss three topics:
Guantanamo detainees; Hungarian Ambassador to the U.S.; and
relations with Slovakia. Concerning Guantanamo detainees,
the FM said that the Government will decide before the end of
July whether to accept detainees as well as the way forward
to implement the decision. Balazs also confirmed that he
will replace Hungary's U.S. Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi with
Bela Szombati this summer. On relations with Slovakia,
Balazs commented that bi-lateral relations "for the moment,
are at a dead-end." Demarche on the President's meeting with
Russian President Medvedev was delivered. End summary.

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Guantanamo Detainee Decision Soon
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2. (C) Responding to Foreign Minister Peter Balazs's request,
Charge Hurley met with the FM on July 9. Balazs began with
the subject of Guantanamo detainees. He said that Hungarian
National Security Service personnel are currently reviewing
the five files recently provided by Ambassador Fried (ref A),
and the GOH intends to take a yet-undetermined decision as
soon as possible to outline a plan of action. Noting that
"technical issues" are relatively easy to address, Balazs
commented that there is "the magic line of politics," and
political issues are swirling in "deep, troubled waters."


3. (C) Continuing, Balazs said that, after "shaping the
decision" as to the number and names of acceptable detainees,
he will discuss the way forward with the Prime Minister -
unilaterally or in coordination with the opposition. He
stated that he prefers a unilateral approach, with the GOH
bearing responsibility alone for the decision without
dialogue with the opposition. Noting that the summer "uborka
season" diminishes public attention on politics, the FM said
the GOH is moving towards a late July decision.

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New Ambassador in Washington
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4. (C) Balazs confirmed that he notified current Ambassador
Ferenc Somogyi that he will be replaced this summer by Bela
Szombati. Highlighting the fact that there is "a new
government in Washington and a new government in Budapest,"
Balazs said that "new tasks and new challenges" make the
change logical. He said we are sending the best possible
person to Washington to be sure we are meeting all
requirements. Szombati is "young and dynamic," speaks
English and French, and previously served in two very
important posts as Ambassador - Paris and London. Balazs
also raised the issue of Somogyi's health as a factor in the
decision to change Ambassadors. The FM noted that Somogyi
recently has suffered occasional short-term memory loss, and
is sometimes mildly depressed. (Comment. That said, concern
for these health issues apparently was not, if at all, key to
the change, as Balazs said Somogyi has accepted a new posting
as Hungary's Ambassador to Singapore. End comment.)

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Slovakia - Our Biggest Concern
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5. (C) Stating that his goal is to "start a new chapter" in
the relationship with Slovakia, in particular with Slovakia's
new Foreign Minister, Balazs highlighted a number of joint
committees he hopes will help strengthen bi-lateral
cooperation and understanding between the two governments.
He also expressed hope that he can diffuse the usage of
"radical labels" when the Slovak government comments on its
neighbor to the south, commenting that Slovak officials tend
to "ignore our messages" and only react to Viktor Orban (ref
B),the Magyar Garda and Jobbik. However, stating the "he
sees only friends" when looking at Hungary's seven
neighboring countries, Balazs expressed sorrow that the
recent language law passed by the Slovak legislature finds
the situation with Slovakia "for the moment, at a dead-end."


6. (C) Comment. Concerning the Guantanamo detainee issue,
the toughest question yet to be answered internally by the

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GOH is whether or not to go-it-alone without consulting
opposition Fidesz leadership. Fidesz President Viktor Orban
has already clearly stated his opposition to accepting
detainees in a letter to former Ambassador Foley before she
departed Post. However, unlike former Prime Minister
Gyurcsany, who made four-party consensus a key element in the
decision to accept detainees, Prime Minister Bajnai has not
established the same criteria. Balazs' support for a
"unilateral" decision echoes MFA State Secretary Varkonyi's
comments during Ambassador Fried's visit. With Fidesz
raising the issue of potential threats to public safety and
security if detainees were accepted, it remains to be seen if
Socialist MPs will be willing to back a unilateral decision,
even with Socialist Party faction leader Attila Mesterhazy's
comments to Ambassador Fried that he will "deliver" Socialist
support for a positive decision. While the outlook for the
Socialists in the upcoming national elections is dim,
Socialist MPs who are also mayors may be less inclined to
support accepting detainees, having to face their
constituents at home.


7. (C) Comment continued. Hungary's relationship with
Slovakia remains problematic, with the recently passed
language law the prime reason for the cancellation of the
planned July meeting between the two Prime Ministers. While
the Foreign Minister laments Slovaia's reactions to the more
conservative and far-right voices emanating from across the
Danube, such Hungarian voices contribute to the mistrust.
Fidesz President Viktor Orban's recent comments about
representation in the European Parliament for Hungarians in
the Carpathian basin, coupled with the extreme-right Jobbik
Party's new EP member (ref C) Krisztina Morvai's call for a
symposium to address the human rights aspects of the Trianon
treaty, only fan the flames of ethnic tension between the two
countries. End comment.


8. (U) Closing out the meeting, the Charge took the
opportunity to deliver the ref D demarche to the Foreign
Minister. The FM was grateful to receive the demarche, but
had no immendiate comments.
Hurley