Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09LJUBLJANA41
2009-02-20 15:49:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ljubljana
Cable title:  

SLOVENIA EXPECTS WESTERN BALKANS TO DOMINATE

Tags:  PREL EUN PGOV AFDB SU SI 
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VZCZCXYZ0020
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLJ #0041/01 0511549
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 201549Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7177
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0032
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0053
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0124
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0257
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000041 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/CE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2019
TAGS: PREL EUN PGOV AFDB SU SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA EXPECTS WESTERN BALKANS TO DOMINATE
FEBRUARY 23-24 GAERC

REF: FEB. 12 E-MAIL

Classified By: ADCM G. Shelton, Reasons 1.4 (b,d)

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000041

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/CE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2019
TAGS: PREL EUN PGOV AFDB SU SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA EXPECTS WESTERN BALKANS TO DOMINATE
FEBRUARY 23-24 GAERC

REF: FEB. 12 E-MAIL

Classified By: ADCM G. Shelton, Reasons 1.4 (b,d)

Summary
--------------


1. (C) ADCM delivered ref's points regarding the February
23-24 GAERC to EU Correspondent Darja Gruban on February 19.
Gruban said she expected the restricted Foreign Ministers'
lunch discussion on the Western Balkans would be long. In
addition to the FMs discussing Afghanistan, the Political
Directors would discuss it in a regional context to include
Pakistan and India. Sudan will be on the agenda, and there
will be conclusions, if the ICC issues the arrest warrant for
Bashir. There will be conclusions on Sri Lanka and Iraq
(elections). End Summary.

Afghanistan
--------------


2. (C) Gruban indicated that Slovenia was considering sending
extra military staff to Afghanistan and that Defense Minister
Jelusic planned to discuss it with Secretary Gates during
their February 19 meeting. She noted that Slovenia fully
supported an EU-Pakistan Summit, which would likely occur
toward the end of the Czech Presidency.

Gaza
--------------


3. (C) Gruban took on board our points on Gaza. She
commented that Foreign Minister Zbogar planned to attend the
Cairo Conference.

Sudan
--------------


4. (C) Gruban said Slovenia agreed with our points. She
explained that the FMs would discuss Sudan and issue
conclusions if the ICC issued an arrest warrant for President
Bashir. She said that Slovenia fully supported the ICC and
wanted an arrest warrant to be issued as soon as possible.

The Western Balkans
--------------


5. (C) Gruban predicted that the Western Balkans would
dominate the agenda and that the FMs' lunch discussion would
be very long. The FMs planned to discuss the overall
political situation in the Balkans, Serbia and ICTY, the
future mandate of the EU's High Representative in Bosnia, and
the application of Montenegro and other possible candidates.
She agreed that the EU's credibility was at stake with EULEX,
saying that the goal remained to have it assume final
operational capability in the coming weeks. She stated that
the EU would express its dissatisfaction that a Serbian
government official, while in Kosovo, had protested EULEX's
deployment to the north.


6. (C) Gruban expected that the debate on Bosnia would
continue and that it remained highly unlikely that the PIC
would be prepared in March to decide to close OHR this
summer. She noted that the EU member-states continued to
differ on whether to comply strictly with the 5 plus 2
requirements for Bosnia or to be more flexible. While
Slovenia agreed with the 5 plus 2 requirement, it also
thought that some sort of flexibility was necessary to have a
pull effect. The FMs would also discuss the principles of
the mandate for the EU's Special representative, to include
local ownership and soft power initiatives.


7. (C) Gruban stressed that Slovenia's interests were very
much in line with ours in the Western Balkans: it was in
favor of enlargement and thought the EU needs to be positive
in responding to other applications. She noted that visa
liberalization was very important, especially for Macedonia
and Bosnia. She worried that some countries were backing off
from enlargement.

Eastern Partnership Initiative
--------------


8. (C) Gruban noted that Slovenia supported the Eastern
Partnership Initiative and the planned meeting with the 6
countries, including Belarus. She explained that Slovenia
saw the EaP as an instrument to engage Belarus and push it to
reform. On the EaP, Slovenia agreed that it should
complement other EU initiatives. Slovenia was of the view
that the EU should first reach political agreement on the
initiative and then lower-level officials could discuss
funding and other technicalities.
FREDEN