US embassy cable - 04LJUBLJANA266

UNCLAS  LJUBLJANA 000266 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR, EUR/PPD, EUR/NCE, EUR/RPM, EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, PGOV, KMDR, SI, NATO 
SUBJECT:  SLOVENIA: "FORMER SOVIET BLOC" RHETORIC ILL- 
RECEIVED (AND FOR GOOD REASON) 
 
REF: LJUBLJANA 0259 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  The Slovenian media have reported 
extensively on erroneous references to Slovenia as part of 
the "former Soviet Bloc" made during recent NATO accession 
ceremonies.  Slovenes take umbrage at this historical 
inaccuracy and the lack of understanding it demonstrates as 
to how former Non-Aligned and Warsaw Pact countries differ 
in their perspectives, priorities, and philosophies. 
Lumping of Slovenia together with the other six new NATO 
Allies under a single "post-Soviet" rubric has unfortunately 
added a bitter twist to many otherwise positive media 
commentaries on NATO accession.  Allies must learn from this 
experience, in order to better manage Slovenian public 
opinion and policy makers, but also in order to better 
prepare for the next group of potential invitees.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U) On March 30, Slovenia's commercial POP TV carried a 
story during its main evening -news broadcast on Slovenia's 
accession to NATO that contained a brisk commentary by U.S. 
correspondent Natasa Briski on American misunderstandingof 
Slovenian history.  Briski noted that "the U.. media have 
continuously reported that [the curent round of NATO 
accession] concerned only the cuntries of the former Soviet 
Bloc."  She also reorted that "Based on what Bush said, we 
can alsoconclude that on this historic occasion the 
Presdent's speechwriters didn't bother to trouble 
thmselves with Slovenia's history."  The report came n the 
heels of POP TV's previous day's coverage aking the same 
point. 
 
3.  (U) Slovenia's leadng print daily "Delo" also carried a 
report on Mrch 31 by its U.S.-based correspondent Ervin 
Hlanik-Milharcic quoting President Bush's statement tht 
"When NATO was founded, the people of these seen nations 
were captives to an empire."  Milharcc then sarcastically 
commented on the President' statement by claiming that "In 
these few sentenes before the White House, Bush was able to 
discoer a historical common denominator."  Left-of-center 
"Vecer" also points out in a March 31 report about the White 
House ceremonies that "in President Bush's words these 
nations were captives of an empire." 
 
4.  (SBU) COMMENT:  Although the Slovenian media will 
generally find fault with U.S. policymakers whenever 
possible, we certainly are not doing ourselves any favors by 
portraying Slovenia as a former member of the Soviet Bloc. 
Such historical inaccuracies grate particularly harshly on 
Slovenian ears and exacerbate sensitivities that stem from 
the country's size and relative obscurity on the world 
stage.  Slovenes take pride in the fact that Yugoslavia was 
never a member of the Warsaw Pact and that it jealously 
guarded its independence from Moscow.  Historically 
conditioned fears of imperial subordination make it 
appropriate that this distinction (always) be acknowledged. 
5.  (SBU) COMMENT Cont:  It is also important for policy- 
makers in Washington and other Allied capitals to appreciate 
the implications of the proudly non-aligned mindset that 
Slovenia brings to the NATO table.  Average Slovenes value 
rather than repudiate their Cold War orientation, feeling a 
certain sense of superiority for having been "above" taking 
sides.  They carry little emotional baggage about relations 
with Russia and are likely to make reasoned, practical 
decisions about whether/how to work with Russia in the NATO 
context.  They feel less of a sense of historical obligation 
to the original NATO members, other than that generated by 
NATO's role in ending conflicts in the region.  They also 
still retain neutrality-based instincts about eschewing 
military conflict, and the old view of NATO and the Warsaw 
Pact as two sides of the same coin.  This means that the 
Slovenian population (and some policy-makers) will approach 
policy issues differently and will likely have a different 
set of knee-jerk reactions than other new Allies will.  It 
also means that Slovenia may be able to offer NATO 
insightful advice about managing enlargement in other former 
Yugoslav countries.  END COMMENT. 
 
 
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 2004LJUBLJ00266 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED 


 
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