US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA228

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INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION

Identifier: 04BRATISLAVA228
Wikileaks: View 04BRATISLAVA228 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Bratislava
Created: 2004-03-08 05:32:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Tags: EFIS SENV LO IWC
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000228 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR OES/OA (JEAN-PIERRE PLE) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIS, SENV, LO, IWC 
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION 
 
REF: SECSTATE 26564 
 
1. (SBU) POLOFF DELIVERED REFTEL DEMARCHE TO HENRIETA 
    BALOGHOVA OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURE AND LANDSCAPE 
PROTECTION AT THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT (MOE). 
BALOGHOVA RECENTLY ASSUMED HER PORTFOLIO AND COULD NOT 
IMMEDIATELY COMMENT ON SLOVAKIA'S POSSIBLE MEMBERSHIP 
IN THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION (IWC).  LATER, 
SHE REMARKED THAT DOCUMENTATION TO SUPPORT MEMBERSHIP 
WOULD SOON BE IN THE INTER-MINISTERIAL REVIEW PROCESS, 
BUT SHE FEARED THE HIGH ANNUAL FEES WOULD FINALLY 
DISSUADE GOVERNMENTAL APPROVAL.  THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC 
EXPRESSED INTEREST IN JOINING THE IWC IN THE PAST, 
HOWEVER THERE HAD BEEN NO NEW MOMENTUM TO MOVE THE 
APPROVAL PROCESS FORWARD SINCE LAST YEAR. DUE TO THIS 
DELAY, IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY SLOVAKIA WILL JOIN PRIOR 
TO THIS YEAR'S MEETING IN SORRENTO. 
 
2. (SBU) AN OFFICIAL FROM THE MFA'S DEPARTMENT OF UN 
SPECIALIZED AGENCIES, WHICH ALSO INFLUENCES 
INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, STATED GREENPEACE 
WILL MEET WITH MINISTRY OFFICIALS THE SECOND WEEK OF 
MARCH. GREENPEACE'S REGIONAL OUTREACH EFFORT IN CENTRAL 
EUROPE LAST YEAR WAS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AND MEMBERS OFTEN 
MET WITH THE MINISTRIES. HOWEVER, THEIR ACTIVITIES 
ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION OF MEMBERS OF THE IWC, WHO VOTE 
FOR THE RETURN OF COMMERCIAL WHALING. MFA OFFICIALS 
NOTED THAT JAPANESE EMBASSY OFFICIALS WERE ACTIVE 
LOBBYISTS LAST YEAR AGAINST SLOVAKIA JOINING THE IWC. 
 
THAYER 
 
NNNN 

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