Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09LJUBLJANA50
2009-02-27 08:56:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ljubljana
Cable title:
SLOVENIA AGREES WITH USG'S NEW APPROACH IN
how-toVZCZCXRO4450 RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHLJ #0050 0580856 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 270856Z FEB 09 FM AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7191 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0049 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0055 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0260 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000050
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/A TOM REOTT AND EUR/RPM AARON COPE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2019
TAGS: PREL NATO MOPS MARR AF SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA AGREES WITH USG'S NEW APPROACH IN
AFGHANISTAN
REF: A. SECSTATE 15623
B. SECDEF 241923Z FEB 09
Classified By: ADCM G. Shelton, Reasons 1.4 (b,d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000050
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/A TOM REOTT AND EUR/RPM AARON COPE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2019
TAGS: PREL NATO MOPS MARR AF SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA AGREES WITH USG'S NEW APPROACH IN
AFGHANISTAN
REF: A. SECSTATE 15623
B. SECDEF 241923Z FEB 09
Classified By: ADCM G. Shelton, Reasons 1.4 (b,d)
1. (C) ADCM met with MFA Security Policy Division Chief
Stanislav Vidovic on February 24 and with MOD Deputy Director
General of Defense Planning Primoz Savc on February 26 to:
outline the "anchor points" of the Afghanistan-Pakistan
review; seek Slovenia's input for the strategy review; and
encourage Slovenia to consider how it can join us in
increasing civilian and military contributions (ref A).
Vidovic said Slovenia supported the USG's new approach and
agreed with the regional concept and most of the anchor
points. Vidovic stressed that we needed to broaden the
responsibilities - ISAF was only one pillar of stabilizing
Iraq; we should find a way to link the efforts of ISAF, the
UN, and the EU. He suggested that the EU should be more
active and worried that the member states were not able to
follow the needs of EUPOL on the ground quickly enough.
2. (C) Vidovic cited Defense Minister Jelusic's February 19
meeting with Secretary of Defense Gates during which she
outlined Slovenia's plans for Afghanistan (ref B). Vidovic
and Savc both reviewed Slovenia's contributions to
Afghanistan: 70 soldiers, with the number of soldiers
participating in an OMLT increasing to 10. Savc explained
that the MoD was exploring whether Slovenia could take over
an OMLT within two years. Each confirmed that Slovenia
planned to send up to 15 people to an Information Operations
team for the elections. They also said that Slovenia would
like to be more present in PRTs and planned to have at least
three to five people in PRTs until 2012. Vidovic added that
it currently had two civil military cooperation civilians at
the Italian PRT in Herat who were exploring how Slovenia
could contribute more to PRTs. He noted that while Slovenia
was not looking to take over a PRT, it would start and fund
some projects over the next few months. Although he doubted
that these projects would have a big effect, Slovenia still
wanted to be present in a PRT. In discussing Slovenia's
contributions to Afghanistan, Vidovic stressed that Slovenia
would continue to be very involved in the Western Balkans,
which it sees as its first priority.
FREDEN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/A TOM REOTT AND EUR/RPM AARON COPE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2019
TAGS: PREL NATO MOPS MARR AF SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA AGREES WITH USG'S NEW APPROACH IN
AFGHANISTAN
REF: A. SECSTATE 15623
B. SECDEF 241923Z FEB 09
Classified By: ADCM G. Shelton, Reasons 1.4 (b,d)
1. (C) ADCM met with MFA Security Policy Division Chief
Stanislav Vidovic on February 24 and with MOD Deputy Director
General of Defense Planning Primoz Savc on February 26 to:
outline the "anchor points" of the Afghanistan-Pakistan
review; seek Slovenia's input for the strategy review; and
encourage Slovenia to consider how it can join us in
increasing civilian and military contributions (ref A).
Vidovic said Slovenia supported the USG's new approach and
agreed with the regional concept and most of the anchor
points. Vidovic stressed that we needed to broaden the
responsibilities - ISAF was only one pillar of stabilizing
Iraq; we should find a way to link the efforts of ISAF, the
UN, and the EU. He suggested that the EU should be more
active and worried that the member states were not able to
follow the needs of EUPOL on the ground quickly enough.
2. (C) Vidovic cited Defense Minister Jelusic's February 19
meeting with Secretary of Defense Gates during which she
outlined Slovenia's plans for Afghanistan (ref B). Vidovic
and Savc both reviewed Slovenia's contributions to
Afghanistan: 70 soldiers, with the number of soldiers
participating in an OMLT increasing to 10. Savc explained
that the MoD was exploring whether Slovenia could take over
an OMLT within two years. Each confirmed that Slovenia
planned to send up to 15 people to an Information Operations
team for the elections. They also said that Slovenia would
like to be more present in PRTs and planned to have at least
three to five people in PRTs until 2012. Vidovic added that
it currently had two civil military cooperation civilians at
the Italian PRT in Herat who were exploring how Slovenia
could contribute more to PRTs. He noted that while Slovenia
was not looking to take over a PRT, it would start and fund
some projects over the next few months. Although he doubted
that these projects would have a big effect, Slovenia still
wanted to be present in a PRT. In discussing Slovenia's
contributions to Afghanistan, Vidovic stressed that Slovenia
would continue to be very involved in the Western Balkans,
which it sees as its first priority.
FREDEN