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| Identifier | Subject | Date | Office | Classification | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09BRATISLAVA215 |
DISTURBING INCIDENTS PROMPT COMPARISONS TO [...] (C) An alleged attempted poisoning of a judge's wife, repeated unlawful entries into the offices of Slovakia's premier watchdog NGO, and an 80-man strong police action against a Franciscan monastery led by a priest who was outspoken in his support for opposition presidential candidate Iveta Ra [...] |
2009-05-18 16:24:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA216 |
SLOVAKIA: LIBERTAD ACT REVIEW [...] (U) Below are our responses to the questions posed in reftel. 2. (C) Has the host country, in Post's opinion, worked to promote the advancement of democracy and human rights in Cuba? A: In our view, Slovakia has worked to advance human rights and democracy in several specific ways. Non-go [...] |
2009-05-20 07:13:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL CU LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA221 |
CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DECLARES THE SPECIAL COURT [...] Summary. In a 7-6 decision, the Slovak Constitutional Court on May 20 ruled, pursuant to a complaint filed by a group of parliamentary deputies, that the Slovak Special Court Against Corruption is unconstitutional. Until recently, most analysts speculated that the Constitutional Court decisio [...] |
2009-05-20 15:13:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV KCRIM LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA232 |
LAJCAK CALLS IN CHARGE OVER EMBASSY'S STATEMENTS [...] (C) Summary: Slovak FM Lajcak called in Charge May 27 to relay President Gasparovic's extreme displeasure over Embassy Bratislava's recent public statements in which we expressed regret at the demise of the Special Court for anti-corruption cases. Lajcak said Gasparovic felt U.S. comments (a [...] |
2009-05-28 15:29:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV KCOR LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA237 |
SLOVAKIA: DEMARCHE RESPONSE ON VOTE FOR KOSOVO'S [...] No summary [...] |
2009-05-29 14:19:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN KV PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA238 |
INTERBLUE CO2 PERMITS CONTRACT PUBLISHED, SANS [...] No summary [...] |
2009-05-29 14:45:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KCOR SENV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA240 |
FOREIGN MINISTER LAJCAK RAISES RED FLAG ABOUT [...] (U) This message has been coordinated with Embassy Budapest. 2. (C) Introduction and Comment: Foreign Minister Lajcak recently raised his deep concerns with Charge about Hungarian opposition party Fidesz's intended citation of the Ahtisaari plan as a model for the treatment of ethnic minori [...] |
2009-06-02 13:57:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL LO HU |
| 09BRATISLAVA241 |
INTERBLUE CO2 PERMITS CONTRACT PUBLISHED, SANS [...] (C) SUMMARY: New Environment Minister Viliam Turksy (Slovak National Party - SNS) published the controversial contract arranging for the sale of CO2 permits to the U.S.-registered Interblue Group (ref A and B), but critical information including the price and number of permits sold was deleted [...] |
2009-06-04 06:40:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KCOR SENV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA242 |
NO MI-17S IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE [...] (SBU) Slovakia does not have any MI-17 helicopters immediately available for donation, lease or sale. Slovakia has approximately 15 MI-17s, of which fewer than 10 are operational. Slovakia plans to use these helicopters through the end of their service lives in 2012 and then replace them. DAO [...] |
2009-06-04 10:27:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL SMIG PARM PK LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA243 |
KOSICE TORTURE CASE: INVESTIGATION CONTINUES [...] Summary: We met recently with the Slovak Police and the General Prosecutor's Office for an official update on the police actions in response to the flagrant human rights abuses by the Kosice police involved in the torture of six Roma children in March. According to the police, the six culpabl [...] |
2009-06-05 13:42:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PREL PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA246 |
OSC SERVICES ARE ESSENTIAL TO EMBASSY BRATISLAVA [...] Post appreciates translation services provided by the Open Source Center (OSC) in Vienna. In addition to the selected materials OSC translates each work day, Post regularly requests translation of longer articles of particular policy concern. We understand that funds for tranlsation from Czech [...] |
2009-06-08 15:21:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | AMGT KPAO KOGL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA247 |
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS: LITTLE INTEREST, [...] Nineteen percent of Slovaki voters Slovak voters turned out this weekend to elect Euro-Parliamentarians, besting their last-in-the-EU turnout of 17 percent five years ago, but showing little interest in the process. While PM Fico's Smer party did predictably well, gaining 5 seats, each of the [...] |
2009-06-08 15:21:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV EU LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA248 |
JUSTICE MINISTER HARABIN POISED TO BECOME SUPREME [...] (C) Introduction and Summary: The Slovak Judicial Council will elect a new Supreme Court Chairman on June 22. It appears virtually certain that Justice Minister Stefan Harabin, to whom half of the members of the Judicial Council are subordinate or otherwise beholden, will win. Justice and the [...] |
2009-06-09 13:20:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM KCOR LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA25 |
BRATISLAVA - ANNUAL OSAC CRIME / SAFETY REPORT [...] Overall Crime and Safety Situation: The Slovak Republic has a medium rate of crime. Although violent crime is not unheard of, it is relatively uncommon. Visitors are urged to exercise precautions practiced in any large city such as using the Buddy System; instead of walking alone at night, [...] |
2009-01-14 09:50:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | ASEC KSAC |
| 09BRATISLAVA250 |
GAERC: SLOVAK AND U.S. POSITIONS "NEVER CLOSER" [...] (SBU) Summary. Poloff discussed ref points on the June 15-16 GAERC meeting with European Correspondent Albin Otruba on June 9. Otruba enthusiastically declared the U.S. and Slovak positions on GAERC issues are now closer than ever before. Otruba spoke at length about the President's speech in [...] |
2009-06-10 15:04:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL EUN PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA251 |
SLOVAKIA CONCERNED ABOUT CFE [...] (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel points to Roman Rosina, OSCE Officer in the Arms Control Department at MFA, and Martin Pangrac, NATO officer in the Security Policy Department. Rosina said Slovakia fully supports the U.S. initiative for dialogue, but would like the Conventional Forces in Europe ( [...] |
2009-06-10 15:04:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | OSCE PREL EU NATO PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA256 |
HARABIN DEMANDS $1.1 MILLION FROM MEDIA AS [...] (C) Summary: Justice Minister Stefan Harabin is demanding a total of over $1.1 million from four major Slovak media outlets for supposed damage to his reputation that they caused by reporting his links to a known drug dealer. In almost identical letters to the four companies, Harabin threatens [...] |
2009-06-12 15:51:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL OSCE LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA257 |
ROMA PLENIPOTENTIARY RESIGNS [...] Summary: Anina Botosova, the Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Affairs, announced her resignation on June 10. The day before her resignation, Botosova was accused of allocating 22,000 euros to an NGO which she formerly headed, and was criticized for posthumously honoring her father, the lat [...] |
2009-06-15 08:05:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PGOV PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA261 |
GASPAROVIC INAUGURATED FOR SECOND TERM [...] No summary [...] |
2009-06-17 13:23:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA262 |
GASPAROVIC INAUGURATED FOR SECOND TERM [...] (SBU) Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic was sworn in June 15 for a second five-year term. The formalities were decidedly low-key; one daily newspaper here ran its main inauguration story under the headline, "The Inauguration Interested Mostly Tourists." And, indeed, the riot barriers, police [...] |
2009-06-17 13:55:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA265 |
EACT TEST FROM KATHARINE BEAMER [...] No summary [...] |
2009-06-18 09:17:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL |
| 09BRATISLAVA277 |
SLOVAKIA TO JOIN IRENA [...] No summary [...] |
2009-06-19 12:37:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | ENRG KGHG SENV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA281 |
STEFAN HARABIN ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF THE SUPREME COURT [...] Justice Minister Stefan Harabin was elected Chairman of the Supreme Court on June 22. He received 15 out of 17 votes from members of the Slovak Judicial Council. Seven members of the Council were either appointed by Harabin, or are subordinate to him. Two members abstained. Harabin, whose re [...] |
2009-06-22 15:20:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV KJUS KCRM LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA282 |
STEFAN HARABIN ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF THE SUPREME COURT [...] (C) Summary: Justice Minister Stefan Harabin was elected Chairman of the Supreme Court on June 22. He received 15 out of 17 votes from members of the Slovak Judicial Council. Two members abstained. Seven members of the Council were either appointed by Harabin, or are subordinate to him. Har [...] |
2009-06-22 16:17:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV KJUS KCRM LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA286 |
BRATISLAVA INPUT FOR HDIM MEETING [...] (U) Embassy welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the HDIM process and would like to highlight three areas which correspond to OSCE HDIM commitments: Judiciary 2. (U) Despite the efforts that went into preparing the Slovak judicial system for full membership in the European Union and [...] |
2009-06-25 15:08:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA289 |
CHIEF JUSTICE HARABIN'S TERM: "1825 DAYS OF DARKNESS"? [...] (C) Introduction and Summary: In a matter of weeks, significant negative developments have taken place in the Slovak judiciary. It will take some time to assess fully the ramifications of the June 22 election of Stefan Harabin as Chief Justice and the June 18 vote by the Slovak Parliament to e [...] |
2009-06-26 13:09:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV KJUST LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA290 |
SLOVAKS TO DEMARCHE IRANIANS, SUPPORT FREE AND FAIR AFGHAN [...] (C) During a June 26 meeting with the Charge, Slovak MFA State Secretary Diana Strofova said she would be meeting with the Iranian Ambassador (resident in Vienna) later that morning to deliver a demarche on the recent Iranian elections and their aftermath. She emphasized the Slovak demarche wa [...] |
2009-06-26 13:15:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV AF LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA291 |
SLOVAK PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL CRISIS OPERATIONS [...] (U) Summary. On June 19, Slovakia's parliament, by a vote of 134-0, approved a measure enabling Slovak Armed Forces to deploy 16 additional troops in support of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Deputies from all parliamentary parties supported the measure. T [...] |
2009-06-29 09:08:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL MOPS AF LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA298 |
CHINESE PRESIDENT HU IN SLOVAKIA: BUSINESS AND PROTESTS [...] (C) Summary. Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Slovakia on June 18-19. While the Slovak Government deemed the visit a success because it affirmed China's regard for Slovakia "as an important EU country" and produced contracts between Slovak and Chinese companies valued at 75.5 million euro, [...] |
2009-07-07 15:02:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV CH LO PHUM |
| 09BRATISLAVA3 |
AMBASSADOR'S FAREWELL CALL ON DEPARTING SLOVAK [...] (C) Summary: Ambassador Obsitnik paid a farewell call on departing Slovak Foreign Minister Kubis on January 2, expressing appreciation for Kubis,s personal efforts (in sometimes trying circumstances) and Slovakia,s support on a variety of issues important to the United States ) particularly [...] |
2009-01-06 17:16:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA303 |
NEW DOUBTS ON INTEGRITY OF SLOVAK SECURITY CLEARANCE PROCESS [...] (C) Introduction and Summary: Following months of revelations drawn from archival files that the head of the Slovak National Security Office, Frantisek Blanarik, collaborated with the Communist-era Czechoslovak intelligence services, new information has come to light casting further do [...] |
2009-07-10 09:52:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA31 |
SLOVAKIA GAS CRISIS UPDATE, JANUARY 15 [...] (SBU) The Slovak government has quickly backed away from last week's announcement that it plans to re-start the recently closed nuclear reactor at Jaslovske Bohunice. Experts have told us there is virtually no need to restart the plant because of the gas crisis. Gas reserves are reportedly ad [...] |
2009-01-15 15:28:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ENRG ECON EINV PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA314 |
VETERAN JUDGE DEMOTED FOR UNWILLINGNESS TO BOW TO HARABIN'S [...] (C) Summary: On July 8, a disciplinary senate ruled that veteran judge Anna Benesova be removed from her position at the Bratislava Regional Court and placed at the lower-level Bratislava District Court. Benesova was sanctioned by the senate for allegedly banning the recording of court [...] |
2009-07-16 15:57:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM KJUS LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA316 |
SLOVAKIA: DESPITE CRISIS, NO BUDGET REVISION IN SIGHT [...] (SBU) Though there has been no formal budget revision since the scale of the economic crisis became clear some six months ago, senior government officials are beginning to admit that Slovakia's budget deficit is likely to reach at least 6 percent this year. Revenues are sharply down, and despi [...] |
2009-07-17 13:47:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EFIN ECON LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA320 |
SLOVAK LANGUAGE: "THE GLUE THAT HOLDS US TOGETHER"? [...] Summary: On June 30, the Slovak Parliament passed the now-infamous Amendment to the State Language Act. Seventy-nine of the 136 parliamentarians voted in favor of the amendment, which Culture Minister Madaric promoted as an attempt to protect the national language and "unite society," despite [...] |
2009-07-20 15:33:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL PHUM LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA322 |
EBRD FINANCING IMPROVES PROSPECT OF LONG-PROMISED HIGHWAY [...] (C) SUMMARY: The EBRD approved EUR 250 million in financing for the 52-kilometer R1 express highway connecting Nitra to Tekovske Nemce, one of three sections of an east-west highway project organized under a public-private partnership (PPP) concept. The EBRD's decision is a critical milestone, [...] |
2009-07-21 13:22:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | ELTN EFIN EAID PGOV PREL CH LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA324 |
FOREIGN MINISTER LAJCAK ON HUNGARY AND FICO'S DESIRE TO [...] (C) Summary: During a July 20 dinner with the Charge, Foreign Minister Lajcak lamented the timing but defended the substance of the recently-passed amendments to the Slovak language law. He hoped to defuse the current "overreaction" by working quietly with Hungarian officials and the OSCE's [...] |
2009-07-22 14:37:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA33 |
SLOVAKIA ON EU-SYRIA ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT [...] (C) PolOff delivered reftel A points to Tana Halaszova of the Slovak MFA's Middle East Department. Halaszova stated that she did not believe the EU-Syria Association Agreement would be discussed in upcoming EU Ministerial meetings, as the European gas crisis and the Gaza conflict were causing [...] |
2009-01-16 11:12:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL EU SY LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA333 |
THE BUZZ: MOSQUITO INFESTATION GETS POLITICAL [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: After weeks of rain and days of sun, a mosquito infestation of seemingly Biblical proportions descended on Slovakia in July. While the conversation about the infestation has been mostly confined to idle chatter among residents, the discussion was elevated to the political arena [...] |
2009-07-28 14:08:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV KPAO TBIO SENV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA34 |
SLOVAKIA: 2008 COUNTRY REPORT ON TERRORISM [...] Per reftel, Post is submitting the 2008 Country Report on Terrorism for Slovakia. Embassy POC for this report is Political/Economic Chief Susan Ball, office phone 4212-5592-3412; email:BallSM@state.gov. General Assessment -------------------------- 2. No transnational terrorist or extr [...] |
2009-01-16 15:50:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PTER ASEC LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA341 |
SLOVAKIA: OSCE HUMAN DIMENSION MEETING DEMARCHE RESPONSE [...] (U) We delivered reftel points to Marianna Lipkova and Miriam Joklova in the Department of Human Rights, Council of Europe, OSCE and Minorities at the MFA. Lipkova said Slovakia takes the annual OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) seriously. She said the GOS plans on participat [...] |
2009-07-31 16:16:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PGOV PREL KCOR KJUS UNHRC OSCE LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA353 |
GYPSY TERROR PROVOKES MORE DEBATE THAN SOUL-SEARCHING [...] (U) Summary. An August 8 protest against "Gypsy Terror" in eastern Slovakia has opened a rift in Slovakia's nationalist movement and shown once-again that - where Slovakia's large and impoverished Roma community is concerned - even the "responsible" parliamentary parties face a delicate balanci [...] |
2009-08-12 10:42:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA363 |
DOES THE ROMA PLENIPOTENTIARY HELP OR HURT THE ROMA? [...] Summary: According to some Roma activists, the government's Roma Plenipotentiary is the only government post in Slovakia that pays attention to the Roma issue. However, many of them believe that since the post's competencies have been reduced and diluted over time, it is now mostly a figurehea [...] |
2009-08-17 15:12:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PREL PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA365 |
FICO CALLS FOR END TO CO2 PERMITS DEAL [...] (C) SUMMARY: After months of defending the sale of assigned amount unit (AAU) CO2 permits to the U.S.-registered Interblue Group (refs A, B, and C), Prime Minister Robert Fico has publicly acknowledged his opposition to the contract. While cancellation of the deal will likely prevent Interblue [...] |
2009-08-18 16:55:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KGHG SENV KCOR JA LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA367 |
CHARGE'S MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER FICO [...] (C) Introduction and Summary: Charge met with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on August 18 for nearly an hour. Fico had originally asked the Charge to stop by to discuss the case of Aspect Energy, an American firm whose efforts to explore for natural gas in Slovakia have been subject to a s [...] |
2009-08-20 15:01:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM PGOV AF LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA368 |
THE EXTREMISM PARADOX [...] (C) Summary: Extremism is on the rise in Slovakia, and the Government's ability and willingness to combat it, despite a newly-passed extremism amendment to the Penal code, remains an open question. While the amendment supposedly strengthens the government's hand, many experts believe it is a [...] |
2009-08-21 09:29:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA369 |
FICO FIRES ENVIRONMENT MINISTER, BUT IT'S NO CLEANUP [...] (C) On Wednesday, PM Robert Fico fired his Minister of Environment over a public procurement scandal involving the disposal of coal ash. At the press conference announcing the dismissal, he said that he would take the ministry away from junior coalition partner, which has caused the governmen [...] |
2009-08-21 09:31:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | SENV PREL ECON KCOR LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA370 |
SLOVAKS RAISE OPTION OF DENYING ENTRY TO HUNGARIAN PRESIDENT [...] (C) Summary: On August 21, FM Miroslav Lajcak convoked an urgent meeting with the Chiefs of Mission of Bratislava's diplomatic corps to explain Slovakia's opposition to the planned visit of Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom this afternoon at 6 pm (Bratislava time.) Solyom plans to attend an un [...] |
2009-08-21 14:14:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV LO HU |
| 09BRATISLAVA380 |
SEPARATE AND UNEQUAL: SCHOOL SEGREGATION OF ROMANI CHILDREN [...] Summary: A disproportionately high percentage of Romani children in Slovakia are shunted into "special schools" for mentally handicapped children. The implications of this de facto segregation are broad and troublesome, as it mislabels children as handicapped, confines them to a substandard edu [...] |
2009-08-28 10:11:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA386 |
HOMELAND SECURITY STAFFDEL TALKS VISA WAIVER PROGRAM WITH [...] SUMMARY: (SBU) On August 27th, Embassy Bratislava hosted five staffers from the House and Senate Committees on Homeland Security, along with Marc Frey, Director of the Visa Waiver Program Office at DHS, on the first stop of a regional fact-finding trip to Visa Waiver Program (VWP) member coun [...] |
2009-08-31 14:53:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS CMGT PREL PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA388 |
SKYEUROPE: DEBT-FUELED NOSE DIVE [...] (U) SUMMARY: With mounting cashflow problems forcing it to miss payments to airports and suppliers, SkyEurope ceased operations and prepared to file for bankruptcy shortly before midnight on August 31. Never once turning a profit in its eight-year existence, the budget airline's financial hea [...] |
2009-09-03 13:01:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | EAIR ECON PGOV LO XG |
| 09BRATISLAVA389 |
SOY DEMARCHE: SLOVAKIA SYMPATHETIC BUT NON-COMMITTAL [...] (SBU) Taking advantage of a gathering of agricultural leaders at Slovakia's largest agricultural fair in Nitra, we discussed reftel points with industry groups, including Monsanto, and delivered reftel points to officials in the Ministry of Agriculture, including Agriculture Section Director Ja [...] |
2009-09-04 13:49:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD EUN TBIO USTR LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA390 |
LOW EXPECTATIONS IN ADVANCE OF FICO-BAJNAI BILATERAL [...] No summary [...] |
2009-09-08 16:03:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM LO HU |
| 09BRATISLAVA394 |
64TH UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY: HIGH-LEVEL ATTENDANCE [...] (U) Embassy Bratislava's updated response to reftel follows in paragraph 2. 2. (SBU) A. Attendance of Head of State. - President Ivan Gasparovic will not/not attend. B. Attendance of Head of Government. - Prime Minister Robert Fico will not/not attend. C. Atte [...] |
2009-09-11 08:34:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL OTRA OVIP KSEP CVIS UNGA LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA395 |
SLOVAK HEALTH OFFICIALS CRITICAL OF H1N1 PRESS COVERAGE (125 [...] (SBU) We have heard a number of comments from high-level Ministry of Health (MOH) officials criticizing local press coverage of the H1N1 swine flu virus. Eleonora Branska, Director General in the Department of International Relations at the Ministry of Health, privately expressed her feelings [...] |
2009-09-11 11:25:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | TBIO KFLU AMED ASEC KPAO LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA396 |
UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 12TH SESSION - PRIORITIES [...] Poloff delivered reftel points to Veronika Lombardini, Director of the Human Rights Department at MFA, on September 9. Lombardini said Slovakia's priority would be to reach common positions with EU Member States first, and with like-minded countries including the U.S. as well. In general Slovak [...] |
2009-09-11 14:11:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PREL UN UNHRC LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA397 |
MALINOVA CASE: THREE YEARS, MORE LIES, NO PROGRESS [...] (U) Summary. After "deliberating" for over a year, the Dean of the Medical Faculty of Bratislava's Comenius University, Peter Labas, issued the long-awaited expert opinion in the Hedviga Malinova case on September 8. Malinova is the ethnic Hungarian who was allegedly assaulted by two skinheads [...] |
2009-09-11 15:12:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA400 |
SLOVAKIA: DEMARCHE ON EUROPEAN-BASED MISSILE DEFENSE [...] (C) Charge conveyed the Presidential decision on European-based missile defense to MFA Political Director Igor Slobodnik on September 17. Slobodnik expressed appreciation for the briefing and signaled GOS support for the decision. He stated that the MFA had already responded this afternoon to [...] |
2009-09-17 15:11:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | MARR PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA401 |
FICO/BAJNAI MEETING: PROGRESS WITH RESERVATIONS [...] (SBU) Following last week's Fico/Bajnai meeting, the reactions across the Slovak political scene indicate that while the meeting may be the start of a beautiful relationship, we're not quite there yet. Fico used the joint press conference to score a few points against Hungarian nationalists, d [...] |
2009-09-18 08:14:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PHUM HU LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA402 |
SLOVAKS WILL MEET WITH KOSOVARS AT UNGA [...] (C) Charge met on September 18 with Foreign Minister Lajcak and discussed points in reftel. Lajcak responded that he has already scheduled a meeting with the Kosovars on the margins of UNGA next week in New York. 2. (U) Septel will provide Lajcak's additional thoughts on the Balkans. ED [...] |
2009-09-18 11:34:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL AORC KV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA406 |
SLOVAKIA: CHARGE'S MEETING WITH FM LAJCAK [...] (C) Summary. Charge d'Affaires Eddins met with Foreign Minister Lajcak on September 18, prior to Lajcak's departure for the U.S. Lajcak reviewed his recent trips to Moscow and Minsk. Other topics included Afghanistan, Iran, Slovak-Hungarian relations, the Balkans, and Guantanamo detainees. [...] |
2009-09-21 13:08:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV LO HU BH |
| 09BRATISLAVA41 |
GAERC RESPONSE [...] (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel points to Albin Otruba, European Correspondent at the Slovak MFA on January 21. Otruba said GAERC's agenda is still subject to change, but guessed it would include Kosovo, Guantanamo, the Middle East, Russia/Ukraine, and energy security only. Slovakia will be repr [...] |
2009-01-22 13:43:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV AF ZL SU ZI UP BO |
| 09BRATISLAVA411 |
BLUE LANTERN - END-USE CHECK ON LICENSES 050141348 AND [...] (U) In response to reftel, Post has established the bonafides of Velkoobchod zbrane s.r.o. and has received assurances from the company that no U.S.-origin defense articles have been sold, re-transferred or re-exported outside the Slovak Republic. Slovakia's appropriate licensing authorities co [...] |
2009-09-23 15:06:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ETTC KOMC LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA413 |
THE PURGE OF THE SLOVAK JUDICIARY [...] (U) Introduction and Summary: Negative trends in the Slovak judiciary (refs a-j) have intensified and accelerated since the June election of former Justice Minister Stefan Harabin to the position of Chief Justice of the Slovak Supreme Court. On what seems to be a daily basis, experience [...] |
2009-09-25 16:16:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV KJUS PHUM LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA420 |
SLOVAKIA PREOCCUPIED WITH INTERNAL H1N1 PREPARATIONS (133 [...] Ref A points were delivered to Sarka Kovacsova at the Public Health Authority (PHA) Department of International Relations and Dr. Adriana Liptakova, Chief State Counselor and the Director of the Health Care Department at the Ministry of Health. GOS officials view the President's September 17 a [...] |
2009-09-29 15:48:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | AORC PREL KFLU WHO LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA422 |
FRAUD SUMMARY - BRATISLAVA [...] COUNTRY CONDITIONS: Slovakia joined the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) in November 2008, and the majority of former B visa travelers are now traveling under VWP. Although Slovakia had one of the best-performing economies in Europe in recent years, it has been severely affected by the global economi [...] |
2009-09-30 14:41:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KFRD CPAS CMGT ASEC LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA425 |
SLOVAKIA'S BUDGET SEASON BEGINS [...] (U) The draft 2010 budget was approved by the Slovak Cabinet on 30 September; it now goes forward to further negotiation before passage in final form at year end. The budget reduces the deficit to 5.5% of GDP through a series of spending cuts aimed at ministries that do not directly touch the [...] |
2009-10-02 06:28:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EFIN ECON EINV PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA426 |
SLOVAK JUDICIARY: WHAT A DIFFERENCE A WEEK MAKES [...] (U) Within a week of the Justice Ministry's suspension of Judge Jana Dubovcova for expressing her views (ref a), a sea change has taken place within the judiciary. Prior to this watershed event, the number of judges willing to speak publicly about problems in the judiciary numbered about [...] |
2009-10-02 13:26:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA427 |
SLOVAKIA WELCOMES U.S. CLIMATE CHANGE GOALS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The GOS welcomes USG greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and strongly agrees on the need to include all major economies in an eventual United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) agreement at Copenhagen. Slovakia understands the domestic political realitie [...] |
2009-10-02 15:11:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KGHG SENV ENRG TRGY EUN LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA428 |
SLOVAKIA'S BORDER WITH UKRAINE [...] (U) Summary. On Monday, September 21, Embassy officers together with DHS/ICE attachi visited the Slovak-Ukraine border as the guests of the Border and Alien Police (BAP). Our purposes were (I) to assess any security changes since visa waiver accession; (ii) observe U.S.-donated inspection eq [...] |
2009-10-02 15:31:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | CVIS PREL PGOV LO UP PINR |
| 09BRATISLAVA43 |
ASYLUM POLICY IN SLOVAKIA NOT REFUGEE FRIENDLY [...] SUMMARY: On October 24, the Slovak parliament harmonized existing asylum law with EU directive 15 by establishing a system in which the Ministry of Justice provides free legal aid to asylum seekers. The amendment, and overall conservative GOS policy towards asylum seekers and recognized refu [...] |
2009-01-22 16:00:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PHUM LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA441 |
(S) RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FORM SLOVAK POLICE [...] (S/NF) The Regional Security Officer continues to work with the Slovak Police Presidium to further aid in its request for assistance. ARSO and the Federal Bureau of Investigation regional representative recently met with the local police, where we were informed that the request is related to a [...] |
2009-10-13 16:03:00 | Embassy Bratislava | SECRET | ASEC KCRM KNNP PARM PINR PREL PTER LO XG XH |
| 09BRATISLAVA444 |
DEMARCHE RESPONSE ON GOLDSTONE REPORT [...] No summary [...] |
2009-10-14 16:08:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PHUM PTER IS KPAL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA446 |
SLOVAKIA FOR NEW BT CORN VARIETIES, AGAINST ZERO TOLERANCE [...] We delivered reftel points to Dr. Milan Pesko in the Ministry of Agriculture's Office for Genetically Modified Food and Scientific Cooperation and Igor Ferencik in the Ministry of Environment's Biosafety Department. Both of them indicated Slovakia would vote favorably in the two October 19 bio [...] |
2009-10-15 13:47:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ETRD EUN TBIO USTR LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA447 |
SCENESETTER FOR VISIT TO SLOVAKIA OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF [...] (C) Ambassador Vershbow: Your visit to Bratislava coincides with what could be Slovakia's most forward-leaning pledges regarding ISAF participation to date. At the NATO Informal Defense Ministerial, we expect the Slovaks to announce the deployment of Special Forces (20 in the near future [...] |
2009-10-16 16:15:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL NATO MARR AF LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA449 |
ORBAN IN SLOVAKIA: FOMENTS FEARS ABOUT INTENTIONS [...] Summary: Victor Orban, Chairman of Hungary's Fidesz (Hungarian Civic Union) party was a guest speaker at the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) convention on Saturday, October 17, in Rimavska Sobota, Eastern Slovakia. Orban provoked the consternation of many in Slovakia by alluding to autonomy f [...] |
2009-10-21 13:58:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV HU LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA45 |
SLOVAKIA - 2009 INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT [...] Slovakia's once troubled economy has been transformed in the last ten years into a business friendly market-model, which led the region with GDP growth of 7.1 percent (est.) in 2008. Comprehensive structural reforms adopted by the Slovak government in the first several years of this decade led [...] |
2009-01-26 15:44:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | EINV ETRD OPIC KTDB USTR LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA451 |
SLOVAK RESPONSE TO OCTOBER GAERC DEMARCHE [...] PolOff delivered talking points to Albin Otruba, European Correspondent at the Slovak MFA. Otruba stressed that Afghanistan is a priority country for Slovak development assistance, and that they are trying to coordinate with other EU members in this area. He noted that the EU would be di [...] |
2009-10-23 12:29:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL EU LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA452 |
SLOVAK CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR LOBBIES FOR THIRD TERM, [...] (C) SUMMARY: After vigorous behind-the-scenes lobbying by Ivan Sramko, Governor of Slovakia's Central Bank, the government has submitted a proposal to Parliament that would allow him to seek a third term in office and slash the Bank's board from 11 members to five. This move is widely seen as [...] |
2009-10-23 15:46:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA453 |
SECRETARY GATES' OCTOBER 23 MEETING WITH SLOVAK DEPUTY [...] (C) SUMMARY: Secretary of Defense Gates met October 23 with Deputy Prime Minister (and Interior Minister) Kalinak and Defense Minister Baska on the margins of the Bratislava NATO defense ministerial. Kalinak underscored and elaborated on Baska's earlier announcement that Slovakia would be in [...] |
2009-10-24 07:35:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL NATO MARR LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA455 |
ASD VERSHBOW'S MEETING WITH SLOVAK FOREIGN MINISTER LAJCAK: [...] No summary [...] |
2009-10-26 16:03:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL NATO MARR BIH LO AF |
| 09BRATISLAVA456 |
SLOVAK RESPONSE TO THIRD COMMITTEE DEMARCHE [...] PolOff delivered reftel demarche to Marianna Lipkova, of the Slovak MFA Human Rights Department, on October 26. Lipkova expressed enthusiasm for U.S. engagement both on the HRC and the Third Committee, as our positions are closely aligned on almost all issues. Lipkova said that Slovakia [...] |
2009-10-27 15:36:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PREL UN LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA46 |
GAS CRISIS MAY PRESENT OPPORTUNITY FOR NABUCCO [...] (C) In Ambassador Obsitnik's farewell calls on Slovak PM Robert Fico and FM Jan Kubis (septel), both men brought up the possibility of joining the Nabucco consortium as a hedge against future crises. The Slovak leadership gave us their frank views of the respective roles the Ukrainians and Ru [...] |
2009-01-27 11:23:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ENRG PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA460 |
MEDIA, MADARIC, AND MOOLAH [...] (U) Within the SMER (Direction)-led coalition government, Minister of Culture Marek Madaric has spearheaded an unprecedentedly prolific legislative agenda for the Ministry of Culture, introducing and passing eight laws during his tenure. Several of the laws, including the "press law" (ref: Bra [...] |
2009-10-29 14:56:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PHUM OIIP KPAO LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA461 |
SLOVAKIA'S ROSS PEROT: RICHARD SULIK [...] (U) Summary: Richard Sulik's Freedom and Solidarity party (SaS) was the unexpected success of the European Parliamentary elections earlier this year. Though SaS failed to win a MEP slot, it managed to win 4.8 percent of the vote after less than a year of existence and an inexpensive, privately [...] |
2009-10-29 16:46:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA462 |
SLOVAKIA: REVOLVING DOOR CONTINUES AT SCANDAL-PLAGUED [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: In a sudden and surprising move, PM Robert Fico nominated Jozef Medved, the Vice Rector of an obscure private university in central Slovakia, to be the next Environment Minister. As was the case with each of his several predecessors, Medved lacks a technical background or any e [...] |
2009-10-29 17:00:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV SENV ECON KCOR LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA463 |
GLOBAL HUNGER AND FOOD SECURITY DEMARCHE DELIVERED [...] No summary [...] |
2009-10-30 16:40:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR EAID ETRD LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA464 |
SLOVAKIA MOVES TO PROTECT "STRATEGIC ENTERPRISES" [...] (SBU) The Slovak Cabinet last week approved a controversial proposal by Minister of Economy Lubomir Jahnatek to enable the government to nationalize distressed companies, starting with the Novacke Chemicke Zavody (NCZ) chemical factory. The measure would allow the GoS to nationalize designated [...] |
2009-11-03 13:34:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EINV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA465 |
SLOVAKS WILL VOTE AGAINST GOLDSTONE RESOLUTION [...] No summary [...] |
2009-11-03 13:58:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PHUM PTER IS KPAL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA466 |
THE 1989 DIVIDE IS GROWING [...] (C) Summary. Divisions between the Slovak protagonists of the Velvet Revolution and the current leadership are growing sharper as 20th anniversary commemorations approach. A flood of retrospectives are giving rise to reflections about the past, but also on the extent to which the aspirations [...] |
2009-11-04 16:29:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA468 |
SLOVAK ROMA: THE COSTS OF NON-INCLUSION [...] Summary: On October 27, the Open Society Foundation in Bratislava released a study entitled The Costs of Non-Inclusion, which attempts to assess the long-term economic impact of the social exclusion of Slovakia's Roma population. The study's authors, Anton Marcincin and Lubica Marcincinova, d [...] |
2009-11-05 15:21:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PREL ECON LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA47 |
SLOVAK JUSTICE IS SUFFERING UNDER JUSTICE MINISTER [...] No summary [...] |
2009-01-27 13:04:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA470 |
SLOVAKIA AGREES TO RESETTLE THREE GUANTANAMO DETAINEES [...] (C) Summary: In a November 4 meeting with Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure Dan Fried, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico agreed to accept three Guantanamo detainees for resettlement in Slovakia. After further discussion of details and logistics with Foreign Minister Lajcak and Interior Min [...] |
2009-11-06 16:30:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PTER LO HU PHUM |
| 09BRATISLAVA471 |
SLOVAK OFFICIALS PLAY DOWN H1N1 THREAT BUT CLOSE BORDER [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Slovak officials have been playing down the threat of an H1N1 outbreak even as they close border crossings to Ukraine, where the situation has reportedly worsened in recent days. Confirmed H1N1 infections are still few--there were three additional cases reported this week in Br [...] |
2009-11-06 16:34:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | KFLU WHO LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA472 |
"THE PRIVATIZATION OF JUSTICE IN SLOVAKIA" [...] (SBU) The effects of Stefan Harabin's consolidation of judicial power can be seen in several recent administrative decisions on promotions and public disclosure, and in court rulings on civil cases. This cable outlines a specific instance of each of these three phenomena. Slavomir Cimerman, a [...] |
2009-11-09 14:28:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | PGOV PREL KCOR LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA474 |
SLOVAKIA: FICO'S FAILURE TO RESOLVE INTERBLUE CO2 TRADING [...] (C) SUMMARY: A failure to resolve the Interblue CO2 permit scandal has prompted widespread suspicion that PM Robert Fico's Smer political party was deeply involved in the corrupt sale, which may ultimately cost Slovakia hundreds of millions of Euros in lost revenue. Although Fico has tried--wi [...] |
2009-11-10 09:49:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL KCOR SENV ECON LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA475 |
SLOVAKIA H1N1 UPDATE: 29 NEW CASES IN PAST WEEK, 1 DEATH [...] (U) The Slovak Health Ministry released its latest figures on November 9, showing 29 new cases of H1N1 flu diagnosed in the previous week, bringing the total number of cases in Slovakia to 200 since the spring. A 48 year-old woman became the first person with a confirmed H1N1 infection to die i [...] |
2009-11-10 14:56:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | SOCI KFLU WHO CASC LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA476 |
WILL SMER SWEEP THE REGIONAL ELECTIONS? [...] Summary. On November 14, Slovak voters will elect regional parliaments in each of the eight Higher Territorial Units (VUC) and a chairman or `zupan' of each VUC. These will be the third regional elections in Slovakia's sixteen-year history. If no zupan candidate wins in the first round, a s [...] |
2009-11-10 15:24:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA48 |
NEW FM LAJCAK ON THE JOB; UNCLEAR HOW LONG HE WILL [...] (U) Summary: On Monday, January 26, President Gasparovic formally appointed Miroslav Lajcak to replace Jan Kubis as Slovakia's Foreign Minister. Lajcak, currently serving as the EU Special Representative and High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, has stated that he intends to remain in S [...] |
2009-01-28 09:21:00 | Embassy Bratislava | SECRET | PREL PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA480 |
SLOVAK RESPONSE TO NOVEMBER GAERC DEMARCHE [...] PolOff delivered referenced talking points on November 13 to Albin Otruba, European Correspondent at the Slovak MFA. Otruba agreed that EU cooperation with Russia is vital, and said that the Slovaks are interested in an "early warning" agreement on energy supply issues. Otruba also said that R [...] |
2009-11-13 12:49:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL EU LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA481 |
REGIONAL ELECTIONS: PLAYING ROUGH IN BRATISLAVA [...] (U) After a Bratislava municipal deputy questioned the decision of the Dubravka Mayor (Dubravka is a district of Bratislava) to offer a sweetheart lease to a reputed mobster, the deputy's car was torched. The deputy, Martin Zatovic (SDKU), believes he has a good chance to be elected on Novemb [...] |
2009-11-13 16:06:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA484 |
SLOVAKIA PAINTED RED: FICO'S SMER STEAMROLLS OPPOSITION IN [...] Summary: The 2009 regional elections were a smashing victory for PM Robert Fico's ruling party, SMER ("Direction"). In four of the eight regions, SMER-supported regional governor or "zupan" candidates won over 50 percent of the vote and do not require a run-off; in the remaining four regions, [...] |
2009-11-19 16:03:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV PHUM LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA485 |
SLOVAKIA'S CIVIL AVIATION HITS BOTTOM, FAILS TO BOUNCE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: A toxic brew of incompetence, economic recession and predatory airlines has left Slovakia's airports largely empty and on the verge of financial collapse. Following the failure of discount airline SkyEurope this fall (reftel), Bratislava's airport has watched its passenger level [...] |
2009-11-20 09:25:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | EAIR ECON PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA486 |
SLOVAK CABINET MOVES TO UNDERMINE ANTITRUST OVERSIGHT [...] (U) In a move that would strip the Slovak government's Antitrust Office of its oversight authority over recent consolidation in the health insurance industry, the cabinet approved this week an amendment to the Health Insurance law that will finalize the merger of two large state-owned insurance [...] |
2009-11-20 14:43:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV ECON EINV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA487 |
SLOVAKIA SLOW ROLLS CORPORATE CRIMINAL LIABILITY [...] (U) On November 4, the Slovak government approved draft legislation on terrorist financing. The accompanying explanatory note caught our eye because it stated that `if the proposed legislative changes creating separate offenses for terrorism financing and corporate criminal liability were [...] |
2009-11-20 16:52:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL OECD LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA489 |
SLOVAKIA COMMEMORATES THE VELVET REVOLUTION: SNAPSHOTS FROM [...] No summary [...] |
2009-11-23 14:03:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA49 |
CHIEF OF OFFICE CHARGED WITH GRANTING SECURITY [...] (U) Summary. Frantisek Blanarik, the Head of Slovakia's National Security Office (NBU), is under pressure after the exposure of archived files related to information he provided to the Military Counterintelligence Service (VKR) when he was a soldier in the mid-1980s. If Blanarik provided inform [...] |
2009-01-28 15:31:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA492 |
SLOVAKIA ON NATO ENLARGEMENT: MACEDONIA AND BOSNIA SHOULD [...] No summary [...] |
2009-11-25 09:48:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA494 |
SLOVAKIA H1N1 UPDATE: RATE OF INFECTION INCREASING, [...] (U) The rate of H1N1 infection in Slovakia continues to rise, as 133 new cases of H1N1 flu were officially diagnosed in the week ending November 20. The previous week had seen 72 new cases, and before that just 29 new ones. In all likelihood, these numbers greatly understate the actual preval [...] |
2009-11-25 12:41:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | SOCI KFLU WHO CASC LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA497 |
DAS QUANRUD IN SLOVAKIA [...] (C) Summary: In a 29-hour visit to Bratislava, EUR DAS Pamela Quanrud met with a variety of senior Slovak government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak and FM Miroslav Lajcak, as well as opposition leaders and members of the judiciary, civil society, and news media to di [...] |
2009-11-27 11:25:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL ENRG LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA498 |
SLOVAK PRESIDENT SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL "STRATEGIC ENTERPRISES" [...] (U) Despite strong, unified opposition from both labor unions and the business community, President Gasparovic yesterday signed the "Strategic Enterprises" law (reftel) that was rushed through Parliament with little debate earlier this month. All of the international chambers of commerce prese [...] |
2009-11-27 14:20:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | EINV ECON PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA500 |
FICO'S RUSSIA TRIP: VAGUE PROMISES AND A NICELY PAINTED CAR [...] (SBU) PM Robert Fico's jaunt to Moscow on November 16 was criticized for its timing (the day before Slovakia officially celebrated the 20th anniversary of the fall of Communism) as well as the deliverables. The latter include more talk of a joint venture with Gazprom and a wide-gauge rail exte [...] |
2009-11-30 17:19:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL ENRG RS LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA501 |
REGIONAL ELECTIONS: SMER SWEEPS ALL BUT ONE REGION [...] Summary: On November 28, Slovak voters in four of eight regions elected their new regional governors or "zupans" in the second round of Slovakia's regional elections. PM Fico's SMER ("direction") had already secured victory in the other four regions during the first round on November 14 (reft [...] |
2009-11-30 17:19:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA509 |
SLOVAK GOVERNMENT TURNING OUT THE LIGHTS ON SOLAR POWER [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The enthusiastic solar energy "gold rush" in Slovakia has hit a series of speed bumps in recent weeks and now faces an uncertain future, as the Slovak government's weak commitment to renewable energy has been further undermined by outright opposition from several important player [...] |
2009-12-09 14:29:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | ENRG EINV ECON PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA513 |
SLOVAKIA H1N1 UPDATE: BORDERS WITH UKRAINE REOPENED [...] No summary [...] |
2009-12-11 14:54:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | SOCI KFLU CASC LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA519 |
LIAR, LIAR, PRESS CONSPIRE [...] (SBU) Summary. PM Robert Fico convened an impromptu press conference on December 10 to vilify the press for pursuing a story about Fico's family connections to an emerging scandal involving the Slovak land fund (septel to follow). PM Fico claimed during the press conference that all the major [...] |
2009-12-18 14:51:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL PHUM KPAO LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA521 |
GET OUR YOUR SLOVNIKS: SLOVAK LANGUAGE LAW TO ENTER [...] (SBU) Summary: The Amended State Language Act entered into force on September 1. While the Slovak cabinet passed the OSCE-vetted implementation guidelines (not legislation) for the Act on December 16, there is still confusion about the practical effects of the Act. Both Budapest and ethnic Hu [...] |
2009-12-18 17:23:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA526 |
THE FUTURE OF SLOVAKIA'S SOLAR POWER INDUSTRY GROWS EVEN [...] (SBU) Fears about a lack of transparency and openness in Slovakia's renewable energy industry were realized last week, as the government-owned power grid operator (SEPS) approved a list of solar power projects and announced that nothing further will be approvedQat least two years. The applicat [...] |
2009-12-22 14:15:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | ENRG EINV ECON PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA53 |
AMBASSADOR OBSITNIK'S FAREWELL TRIFECTA - FICO, [...] (C) Summary: In farewell calls on Prime Minister Fico, President Gasparovic, and Foreign Minister Kubis, Ambassador Obsitnik underscored his appreciation for U.S.-Slovak cooperation during his 13-month tenure, highlighting Slovakia's entry into the Visa Waiver Program and increasingly active [...] |
2009-01-29 13:19:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL ENRG PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA535 |
SLOVAK TRUCKERS THREATEN BLOCKADE OVER TOLLS [...] Slovak truckers are threatening to block gas stations nationwide to protest the new electronic toll system that is to be activated on January 1. Dissident members of the national trucking association are trying to force the government to reduce prices for installation of dashboard tolling equi [...] |
2009-12-31 14:32:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ELTN LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA54 |
SMER-SNS-HZDS: WHAT DOES IT MEAN? [...] (C) Summary: The "worst case scenario" government of Smer-SNS-HZDS is now a certainty. We can expect many more challenges in advocating U.S. policy goals under a Fico-led government than during Mikulas Dzurinda's tenure, particularly on controversial issues such as the war in Iraq or support [...] |
2009-01-30 10:27:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL ECON KPAO EAID LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA55 |
OPPOSITION SCORES ANOTHER GOAL (AGAINST ITSELF!) [...] (U) In a press conference on January 27 announcing a new initiative "Slovakia: You Can Do It!" in support of civic activism and political change -- represented first and foremost by support for opposition candidate Iveta Radicova -- former Justice Minister and Christian Democratic (MP) Daniel [...] |
2009-02-02 07:32:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA56 |
LAW ENFORCEMENT WORKING GROUP CONVENED [...] (SBU) Charge convened a plenary meeting of the Law Enforcement Working Group (LEWG) on January 22. As nearly half the participants are resident in third countries, the agenda was introductions and a description of active law enforcement interests in Slovakia. Participants represented RSO, Pol- [...] |
2009-02-02 07:33:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KCRM LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA57 |
SLOVAKIA'S UPR PROCESS [...] Per reftel request, PolOff discussed Slovakia's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) with Slovak NGO activists Laco Oravec of the Milan Semecka Foundation, and Branislav Tichy of Amnesty International, as well as the Deputy Director of the Slovak MFA's Human Rights Department (and the GOS report c [...] |
2009-02-02 10:52:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PHUM UNHRC LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA63 |
SLOVAKIA WANTES TO HELP MAKE TRACKER BETTER [...] (U) This cable contains an action request in paragraph 8. 2. (SBU) Summary. Slovakia's Department of Sensitive Goods Trade Management (Ministry of Economy) appreciates USG donations of "Tracker" software, hardware and related training, and is anxious to offer its ideas about how it can be m [...] |
2009-02-05 16:11:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PARM ETTC PREL KSTC LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA70 |
FICO'S ROLE MODEL: VLADIMIR PUTIN? [...] (C) Name this leader: He consolidated power and popularity during a period of unprecedented economic growth. As a hedge against any current or future challengers, he attacks the opposition and media relentlessly. He accuses NGOs of seeking to undermine the government and has supported legislati [...] |
2009-02-09 08:06:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV LO RU |
| 09BRATISLAVA76 |
SLOVAKIA'S NEW FOREIGN MINISTER ON THE WESTERN [...] (C) Slovakia's new Foreign Minister, High Representative and EU Special Representative to Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak, wants to maintain a strong focus on the Western Balkans in his new role. In a February 11 initial meeting with Charge, Lajcak also mentioned that he had intended to visit Washingt [...] |
2009-02-12 11:32:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV LO BH |
| 09BRATISLAVA8 |
GAS EMERGENCY IN SLOVAKIA [...] (SBU) The GoS declared a state of emergency as a result of the Russian gas shutdown early on January 7. Gas distribution to home customers will have limited availability. Several big companies, including automakers and their suppliers, have already shut down production, while others have cut b [...] |
2009-01-08 15:17:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ENRG ECON EIND LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA84 |
SLOVAKIA STRUGGLES TO COMBAT ECONOMIC CRISIS [...] (SBU) After hoping for several months that it might have dodged the global economic crisis, the GoS has recently begun to face up to the fact that it hasn't. The auto industry has turned in gloomy forecasts, and every week another company or two announces cutbacks, layoffs, or closures. In re [...] |
2009-02-17 15:51:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN EINV LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA85 |
SLOVAKIA 2009 ANNUAL REPORT ON TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS [...] SLOVAKIA'S TIP SITUATION A. SOURCES OF INFORMATION The MOI, local police, NGOs, and IOM are the best sources of information regarding the number and kinds of TIP victims. Though the numbers vary from source to source, they are generally reliable. IOM estimates between 150 to 200 individua [...] |
2009-02-18 07:40:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KTIP PGOV KCRM PHUM KWMN ELAB SMIG KFRD PREF ASEC |
| 09BRATISLAVA89 |
FOREIGN MINISTER LAJCAK STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF [...] (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 [...] |
2009-02-20 15:08:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA9 |
BT CORN ACREAGE INCREASES DESPITE ADMINISTRATIVE [...] SUMMARY: Since Slovakia introduced a "co-existence law" that came into force in February 2007, farmers have steadily increased the planting of genetically modified (GM) corn, from 30 hectares in 2006 to 949 hectares in 2007 and 1948 hectares in 2008. While the growth in total acreage has been [...] |
2009-01-08 15:49:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR ECON ETRD TBIO LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA94 |
SLOVAKIA PLANS TO ABSTAIN ON FEBRUARY 25 EU [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: When Econoff delivered reftel A demarche, longtime Embassy contact and Bt proponent Igor Ferencik, the Director of the Biosafety Department in the Slovak Ministry of Environment (MinEnv), was visibly distraught. Ferencik told Econoff he and State Secretary Miloslav Sebek favore [...] |
2009-02-25 08:10:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAGR ECON ETRD EUN TBIO KPAO LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA97 |
CODEL Cardin Advances Human Rights Agenda in Bratislava [...] SUMMARY: During a one-day trip to Bratislava, Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) met with newly appointed Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, former Ambassador to the U.S. Martin Butora, and members of the Jewish and Roma communities. Throughout his meeting [...] |
2009-02-25 16:10:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PHUM LO |
| 09BRATISLAVA98 |
NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY PREPCOM - SLOVAK [...] (SBU) Summary. Poloff discussed reftel points briefly with Milan Ciganik, Director for Disarmament, OSCE and Counter-Terrorism at Slovakia's MFA. If the EU is able to find a common position for the third Preparatory Committee Meeting (PrepCom), Slovakia will take that position. Differences bet [...] |
2009-02-27 07:19:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AORC CDG ENRG KMNP MNUC PARM PGOV PREL UNGA |
| 09BRATISLAVA99 |
SLOVAKIA WILL SUPPORT JUDGE PAINTER UNAT CANDIDACY [...] No summary [...] |
2009-02-27 09:28:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | AORC APER KAWC KJUS KUNR PREL UNGA |
| 10BRATISLAVA12 |
SLOVAKIA CAUTIOUS ON CUBA [...] PolOff delivered reftel points to Martin Podstavek, desk officer for Latin America at the Slovak MFA. Podstavek appreciated the information about the recent U.S. engagement with the GOC, particularly on improving communication opportunities for the Cuban people. Podstavek said that the Slova [...] |
2010-01-13 13:35:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PREL SOCI CU LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA13 |
SLOVAKIA WILL ASSOCIATE ITSELF WITH COPENHAGEN ACCORD [...] No summary [...] |
2010-01-13 14:53:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | SENV KGHG ENRG LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA14 |
LANGUAGE LAW UPDATE: SO FAR, ALL QUIET [...] Summary: The implementing guidelines for the Amended State Language Act, which were approved by the Slovak government on December 16, 2009, took effect on January 1, 2010. According to officials from four mixed-ethnicity towns and the Ministry of Culture, there have been few practical effects [...] |
2010-01-14 13:23:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PREL PGOV LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA17 |
SLOVAKIA: FICO YIELDS TO ONCOMING TRUCKERS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Although protests by Slovak truckers against the new electronic toll system appeared to have fizzled by the end of last week, the issue regained steam over the weekend as truckers instituted partial blockades of several major roads, and it became clear that public opinion was wid [...] |
2010-01-15 14:56:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV ECON ELTN LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA18 |
SLOVAKIA: 2010 INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT [...] Following is Embassy Bratislava's submission for the 2010 Investment Climate Statement, in response to tasking reftel: 2010 INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT OVERVIEW Following 6.4 percent GDP growth in 2008, Slovakia's economy has not been spared by the global recession and is expected to [...] |
2010-01-15 16:23:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | EINV EFIN ETRD ELAB KTDB PGOV USTR OPIC LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA2 |
SLOVAKIA: CHARGE EDDINS DEPARTS POST [...] No summary [...] |
2010-01-04 13:22:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | AMGT OTRA LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA20 |
SLOVAKIA SEES EYE-TO-EYE ON ISAF TRANSITION MESSAGING [...] (C) Acting DCM delivered reftel demarche to MFA official Radovan Javorcik, whose newly-expanded directorate includes the U.S. and several countries of the Middle East, as well as Afghanistan and Pakistan. Javorcik agreed on the importance of a unified message underscoring international su [...] |
2010-01-19 15:47:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | MARR MOPS PREL NATO AF LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA21 |
SLOVAKIA: 2010 INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT (UPDATED) [...] Following is Embassy Bratislava's submission for the 2010 Investment Climate Statement, in response to tasking reftel. This is an updated version; please disregard previous cable, Bratislava 18. 2010 INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT OVERVIEW Following 6.4 percent GDP growth in 2008, Slova [...] |
2010-01-20 10:14:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | EINV EFIN ETRD ELAB KTDB PGOV USTR OPIC LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA22 |
SLOVAK PLEDGES OF ASSISTANCE TO HAITI [...] (U) According to MFA officials, Slovakia has pledged the following humanitarian assistance to Haiti: - 50,000 euros in financial aid - 18-person medical team - 44-bed field hospital - an unspecified amount of tents, sleeping bags, blankets, clothes, etc. The physical aid is en ro [...] |
2010-01-20 10:16:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | EAID ECON EFIN PGOV PHUM PREL UN LO HA |
| 10BRATISLAVA23 |
SLOVAK CLIMATE CHANGE NEGOTIATOR ASSESSES PATH FORWARD FROM [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Fresh off a trip to the EU Environment Ministers meeting in Seville this past weekend, Slovakia's lead Climate Change negotiator Helena Princova told us that her EU counterparts are frustrated by the results of Copenhagen and will seek to refocus efforts to ensure continued progr [...] |
2010-01-20 14:37:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | SENV KGHG ENRG PGOV LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA28 |
SLOVAK RESPONSE TO FAC POINTS [...] (SBU) European Correspondent Albin Otruba accepted USG points for the upcoming Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) on January 21 and expressed appreciation that the U.S. and EU are so close on the major issues. Bosnia-Herzegovina ------------------ 2. (SBU) The single item on which Otruba saw a [...] |
2010-01-22 08:23:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL EUN PGOV AF BH UA LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA29 |
SLOVAK POLICE MAKE FIRST CHARGE UNDER TERRORISM LAWS [...] (U) A 33 year-old man from central Slovakia is the first person to be charged under the country's relatively new anti-terrorism laws. According to Police President Jan Packa, who briefed the media on Thursday, January 21, the man had explosives in his home and was planning to blow up a church. [...] |
2010-01-22 16:44:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PTER PGOV LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA30 |
CHARGE EDDINS CARRIES HAITI MESSAGE ON LEADING BROADCASTER [...] (U) Leading Slovak cable news broadcaster "TA-3" broadcast an exclusive interview with Charge Eddins on Saturday, January 23, as part of their half-hour evening special on the situation in Haiti. In response to a query on speculation that the U.S. would "occupy" Haiti Charge Eddins strong [...] |
2010-01-25 15:05:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL KPAO KDEM OIIP HA LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA32 |
SLOVAKIA ON LONDON CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN [...] (U) PolOff delivered reftel demarche to Radovan Javorcik, Director of the Fifth Territorial Department at the Slovak MFA, and Marek Brieska, Desk Officer for Afghanistan, on January 25. Javorcik will accompany Foreign Minister Lajcak to the London Conference. Javorcik said that he had already [...] |
2010-01-25 16:44:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV ECON EFIN AF LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA35 |
NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS...ONE JOURNALIST'S STORY [...] No summary [...] |
2010-01-28 15:38:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL KPAO KDEM OIIP LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA41 |
SLOVAKS AGREE ON IMPORTANCE OF PUTTING REAL PRESSURE ON [...] (C) Charge d'affaires made reftel demarche to Slovak MFA Political Director Slobodnik on January 29. Slobodnik appreciated the U.S. points, noting that they reinforced Under Secretary Burns' recent session with EU political directors in Spain. Slobodnik said the Slovaks fully understood that [...] |
2010-01-29 14:53:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM PREL UNSC IR LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA42 |
SLOVAKIA ON IRAN UPR SESSION [...] No summary [...] |
2010-01-29 15:16:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM IRL UN LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA43 |
U.S. COMPANY BUYS TROUBLED SHARES IN SLOVAK OIL PIPELINE [...] (SBU) Capitol Project Partners, a small U.S. consulting and investment company, has notified us that it has acquired stock in Transpetrol, the state-owned oil pipeline in Slovakia. The company acquired the stock from a Czech company which had recently bought the shares from a Slovak investor w [...] |
2010-01-29 16:39:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EINV ENRG PGOV LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA48 |
SLOVAKIA READIES CONSTITUTIONAL LAW CAPPING NATIONAL DEBT [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Slovak cabinet is poised to approve a constitutional law capping the public debt at 50% of GDP and reforming government accounting in order to limit the ability of future administrations to "cook the books." The proposals are an effort by Finance Minister Jan Pociatek to box-i [...] |
2010-02-02 13:34:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN ECON EINV PREL LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA49 |
INFORMATION ABOUT DISTRACTED DRIVING IN SLOVAKIA [...] No summary [...] |
2010-02-02 14:26:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON SOCI LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA51 |
SLOVAKS AWARE OF CHANGES TO EXTRADITION PROCESS [...] No summary [...] |
2010-02-03 13:48:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | CJAN EUN KTIA LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA58 |
SLOVAKIA REPONSE TO OIG INQUIRY ON REQUIRED REPORTING [...] Below are Embassy Bratislava's responses to the queries in reftel. a. Which mandated reports require most time and attention from Department personnel at your embassy? The Human Rights Report, the Trafficking in Persons Report, and the Investment Climate Statement are the most time consumi [...] |
2010-02-09 14:50:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | AMGT ASIG PHUM EGEN LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA6 |
HARABIN UNBOWED BY GROWING CRITICISM OF JUDICIARY [...] (U) Summary. Despite a public plea from over Slovak judges to address problems in the Slovak judiciary, including the prevalent use of suspensions for judges accused of minor infractions, and the willingness of key GOS officials to discuss the judiciary with foreign interlocutors, Chief Just [...] |
2010-01-08 15:04:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM KCRM LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA60 |
BALANCING THE UNBALANCEABLE: VOLLEBAEK'S EFFORTS TO MONITOR [...] (C) Summary: OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek visited Bratislava on February 8 to meet with Slovak officials and minority representatives to discuss the implementation phase of the newly-amended Slovak State Language Act (ref a). Although Vollebaek told members of B [...] |
2010-02-11 11:12:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL LO HU |
| 10BRATISLAVA61 |
SLOVAK RESPONSE TO U.S. CITES PROPOSALS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: According to Slovakia's lead CITES negotiator, Dana Kmecova, the Slovaks will almost certainly follow consensus EU positions on U.S. proposals being made at the upcoming conference. She told us that the EU positions will not be finalized until a March 3 meeting, but that she exp [...] |
2010-02-11 14:40:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | SENV KSCA CITES AORC UNEP LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA64 |
INTRODUCTION TO JUNE 12 NATIONAL ELECTIONS [...] (U) Summary. Parliamentary elections will be held in Slovakia on June 12. It is all but certain that Smer-Social Democracy, the party of current Prime Minister Robert Fico, will win the largest share of the votes. Recent opinion polls showed support for Smer around 40 percent, while no other pa [...] |
2010-02-16 09:58:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PHUM LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA7 |
EXPLOSIVES BLUNDER REVERBERATES; FACTS REMAINS MURKY [...] (U) Summary. As much of the world now knows, a January 2 airport security exercise in Poprad, Slovakia, went terribly awry. Slovak police had placed a 100-gram sample of RDX explosives in the bag of a Slovak citizen traveling to his residence in Dublin to test detection capabilities. Ap [...] |
2010-01-08 16:06:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV EAIR EI LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA70 |
SLOVAKIA DOES NOT INTEND TO CONTRIBUTE TO MINUSTAH [...] No summary [...] |
2010-02-18 15:08:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV HA SOCI MCAP MARR SNAR ASEC EFIN KJUS |
| 10BRATISLAVA71 |
SLOVAKIA 2010 ANNUAL REPORT ON TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS [...] SLOVAKIA'S TIP SITUATION A. SOURCES OF INFORMATION The Ministry of the Interior (MOI), police, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and NGOs are reliable sources of information regarding the number and kinds of TIP victims. In March 2010, the government will open an Inter [...] |
2010-02-18 15:39:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB KMCA |
| 10BRATISLAVA72 |
ONE DOWN, ONE DIRTY: CORRUPTION AND INCOMPETENCE TAINT [...] (U) Summary. In the past six weeks, the chief of Slovakia's Border and Alien Police (BAP) and its senior officer at the eastern (Ukrainian) border have both fallen from grace, the former taking responsibility for a fiasco involving explosives secreted in luggage by the bomb squad, the latter [...] |
2010-02-19 14:54:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS PGOV LO PREL UP PINR |
| 10BRATISLAVA76 |
SLOVAK RESPONSE TO FEBRUARY FAC DEMARCHE [...] No summary [...] |
2010-02-22 15:36:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA79 |
SLOVAKIA ON GOLDSTONE: STILL OPPOSED, THOUGH DISCUSSING WITH [...] No summary [...] |
2010-02-23 15:20:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM IO UNGA LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA80 |
SLOVAK PRIME MINISTER FICO ADVANCES H1N1 CONSPIRACY THEORY [...] (C) Calling the H1N1 influenza pandemic a "game of pharmaceutical companies," Prime Minister Robert Fico declared this week that he "doesn't believe in swine flu" and will not get vaccinated. This is just the latest in a series of occasionally paranoid conspiracy theories asserted by Fico in [...] |
2010-02-25 15:21:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV SOCI KFLU CASC LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA81 |
SLOVAKS DOUBT EU ARMS EMBARGO OF CHINA WILL BE LIFTED [...] (C) PolOff delivered reftel demarche to Martin Podstavek, China Desk Officer of the Slovak MFA. Podstavek said that Slovakia is not one of the most "pro-China" countries within the EU, though there have been several recent high-level visits which have focused primarily on expanding economic co [...] |
2010-02-25 15:44:00 | Embassy Bratislava | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PARM CH EUN LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA82 |
SLOVAKS AGREE WITH U.S. POSITION ON CONFERENCE ON [...] No summary [...] |
2010-02-25 15:48:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED | PARM MNUC KNNP PREL LO |
| 10BRATISLAVA86 |
PRESIDENTS PARTY TO SUPPORT PM'S SMER-SD IN UPCOMING [...] (SBU) Summary. The Movement for Democracy (known by its Slovak acronym "HZD") - a party founded by current Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic in 2002 after an acrimonious split with HZDS, the party led by his longtime political partner and autocratic former PM Vladimir Meciar - announced its with [...] |
2010-02-26 16:15:00 | Embassy Bratislava | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV LO |