US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA621

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000621 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2014 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, CH, JA, LO, EUN 
SUBJECT: EU CHINA ARMS EMBARGO: JAPANESE DECLINE; SLOVAKS 
LOOKING TO OTHER EU STATES 

REF: (A) STATE 137493 (B) PARIS 04843 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CHARGE ROBERT E. HURLBERT FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY. JAPANESE POLOFFS IN BRATISLAVA DECLINED TO 
DEMARCHE WITH U.S. POLOFF REGARDING THE EU ARMS EMBARGO ON 
CHINA. THE SLOVAKS PRESENTED THEMSELVES AS NON-PLAYERS IN AN 
EU DEBATE, NOTING THAT "IMPORTANT EU MEMBERS" WILL MAKE THE 
DECISION. END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) PER REFTEL A, POLOFF CONTACTED THE JAPANESE EMBASSY IN 
BRATISLAVA ON 25 JUNE. THE JAPANESE NOTED TOKYO CONSIDERED IT 
INAPPROPRIATE TO DELIVER A JOINT DEMARCHE. THEY EMPHASIZED 
JAPAN STILL AGREES WITH THE U.S. POSITION, BUT THEY DO NOT 
WANT TO APPEAR TO BE GANGING UP ON THE EUROPEANS AGAINST 
CHINA, CITING THE SAME REASONS AS IN REFTEL B. 
 
3. (C) KAROL MISTRIK, DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OSCE 
AND DISARMAENT, MFA, SAID ON JUNE 25 THAT SLOVAKIA IS 
"FOLLOWING THE DISCUSSION" ON THE EU ARMS EMBARGO ON CHINA. 
SLOVAKIA IS "UNABLE TO SUPPORT OR NOT SUPPORT" THE U.S. 
POSITION, SINCE IMPORTANT EU MEMBERS ARE STRONGLY PROPOSING 
TO LIFT THE EMBARGO. HE NOTED THE EU IS A "MASTER OF 
COMPROMISE" AND WILL "FIND A SOLUTION." THE EU IS WORKING ON 
EXPORT CONTROLS AND WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO THREATEN THE 
TRANS-ATLANTIC PARTNERSHIP. HE CONSIDERED THE EU EXPORT 
CONTROLS STRIGENT AND RESPONSIBLE. (NOTE: SLOVAKIA WILL 
FOLLOW THE DECISION REACHED BY THE FRENCH, GERMANS, AND 
BRITISH. END NOTE.) 
 
    4. (C) MISTRIK COMMENTED ON THE U.S. POSITION PRESENTED IN 
TALKING POINTS. HE SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THE POSITION OF MORE 
RESTRICTIVE LICENSING REQUIREMENTS, BUT HE DID NOT FIND THE 
PROHIBITION OF U.S. PROCUREMENT OF EU DEFENSE MATERIALS A 
LOGICAL EXTENSION OF THE U.S. CONCERN. 
 
HURLBERT 
 
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