US embassy cable - 04LJUBLJANA429

UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000429 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR T, P, EUR/NCE, NP, PM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MASS, MARR, PREL, SI 
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: ARTICLE 98 FOLLOW-UP 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 101244 
     B. 03 LJUBLJANA 1166 

1.  (U) DCM, ACCOMPANIED BY POL-MILOFF AND ODC CHIEF, 
DELIVERED REFTEL TALKING POINTS TO MFA STATE SECRETARY FOR 
MULTILATERAL AFFAIRS SAMUEL ZBOGAR ON 10 MAY.  ZBOGAR, 
ACCOMPANIED BY STAFF ASSISTANT MATEJ MARN AND NORTH AMERICA 
DESK OFFICER GREGOR KOZOVINC, WAS GRATEFUL TO HEAR THAT IMET 
FUNDS WOULD BE RELEASED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FISCAL YEAR. 
 HE COMMENTED THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE SLOVENIAN ARMED FORCES 
(SAF) SCHEDULED FOR MILITARY TRAINING IN THE UNITED STATES 
WOULD BE ESPECIALLY THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD OF 
THEM. 
 
2.  (U) WITH RESPECT TO AN ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENT, ZBOGAR FIRST 
STRESSED THE SLOVENES' CONFIDENCE IN THE USG'S ABILITY TO 
PROSECUTE CRIMES COMMITTED BY U.S. CITIZENS, NOTING THE ROME 
TREATY PREFERENCE FOR SOVEREIGN ARRANGEMENTS.  HE THEN 
EXPRESSED HOPE THAT THE U.S. WOULD SOME DAY "SEE MERIT IN 
SUPPORTING OR POSSIBLY JOINING THE ICC."  ADMITTING THAT 
THERE HAD BEEN NO INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS AT MFA RECENTLY ABOUT 
SIGNING AN ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENT, ZBOGAR REFERRED TO AN 
EARLIER ROUND OF CONSULTATIONS THAT YIELDED A PROPOSAL FOR AN 
AGREEMENT COMPATIBLE WITH BOTH THE ICC STATUTE AND EU 
GUIDELINES.  DCM TOLD ZBOGAR THAT THE USG "NEEDS MORE" THAN 
THE GOS INITIALLY OFFERED.  ZBOGAR SAID THE GOS REMAINS "OPEN 
TO FINDING A SOLUTION." 
 
3.  (SBU) COMMENT:  IN CHARACTERISTICALLY DIPLOMATIC STYLE, 
ZBOGAR LEFT OPEN THE POSSIBILITY FOR FURTHER DIALOGUE ON 
ARTICLE 98 BUT INDICATED CLEARLY THAT ANY AGREEMENT WOULD 
HAVE TO BE CONCLUDED WITHIN EU GUIDELINES.  AS WE HAVE 
REPORTED IN THE PAST, SLOVENIA IS MOST UNLIKELY TO BREAK 
    RANKS WITH ITS FELLOW EU MEMBER STATES ON THIS ISSUE, AS 
FOMIN RUPEL TOLD A/S BLOOMFIELD WHEN THEY DISCUSSED THE ISSUE 
LAST NOVEMBER (REF B).  END COMMENT 
YOUNG 
 
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