SLOVENIA SUPPORTS PRESSING FOR FURTHER DIALOGUE IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000374 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MLS LAURA SCHEIBE E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL BM SI SUBJECT: SLOVENIA SUPPORTS PRESSING FOR FURTHER DIALOGUE IN BURMA REF: A. STATE 121789 ¶B. LJUBLJANA 113 Classified By: Pol-Econ Chief Yuriy R. Fedkiw for reasons 1.4 (b and d) 1.(C) Pol-Econ Chief delivered ref A demarche to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Division for Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Oceania Minister Plenipotentiary Miklavz Borstnik on December 2. Borstnik said Slovenia's position on Burma was in line with the general EU position which calls for a transition to democracy and increased respect for human rights. He stressed that it was important for the United States and European Union to coordinate their messages on Burma with the United Nations. Borstnik also noted it was important for the international community (IC) to carefully consider how it would respond to any small positive steps the Government of Burma (GOB) may take in response to the IC's call for an internal political dialogue to move political reform forward and ensure an inclusive electoral process. Borstnik said he did not believe the IC should immediately reciprocate each GOB action, but explained the IC should have some type of plan in place to respond to incremental positive changes the regime makes in order to clearly convey to the GOB that undertaking reform is worthwhile. 2.(C) Borstnik also noted his view that India should do more to urge the GOB to implement democratic reforms. He admitted that New Delhi was somewhat conscribed in what it could publicly do, as India needed Burma's support in its fight against insurgents in its northeast. As a result, Borstnik said he believed New Delhi was diplomatically engaged, albeit quietly. (Note: Borstnik spent the past several years in New Delhi as Slovenia's Charge d'Affaires to India. End note.) 3.(C) Comment. Slovenia's position on Burma has been consistent over the past year -- namely leaning towards more open engagement with the regime if the GOB can show progress on instituting reforms and undertaking dialogue with the opposition. Borstnik was particularly interested in how the United States was planning to respond to any small steps the GOB may take on implementing democratic reform, noting it was naive to think that the Burmese would transition to a Western-style democracy overnight. Slovenia does not have bilateral representation in Rangoon. As a result, Ljubljana will continue to pursue its policies vis-a-vis Burma through Brussels. End comment. SHULTZ