US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA636

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000636 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR FRIED, WILSON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2119 
TAGS: PREL, PINR, LO, US 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S INITIAL CALL ON PRESIDENT GASPAROVIC 
 
REF: STATE 124842 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMB. RONALD WEISER FOR REASONS 1.4 B, D. 
 
    1.  (C) AMBASSADOR, ACCOMPANIED BY DCM, CALLED ON RECENTLY 
INAUGURATED PRESIDENT IVAN GASPAROVIC AT THE PRESIDENTIAL 
PALACE JUNE 30.  GASPAROVIC GREETED THE AMBASSADOR WARMLY, 
THANKED HIM FOR HIS HARD WORK ON IMPROVING U.S.-SLOVAK 
RELATIONS, AND EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THEY WOULD BE IN 
FREQUENT COMMUNICATION.  SPEAKING THROUGH AN INTERPRETER (HE 
SEEMED TO GRASP LESS THAN 50% OF THE ENGLISH), HE NOTED THAT 
HE HAD SPOKEN THREE TIMES WITH PRESIDENT BUSH AT ISTANBUL AND 
BEEN MRS. BUSH'S DINNER PARTNER. 
 
2.  (C) ISTANBUL: AMB. WEISER RESPONDED THAT IT WAS 
ESPECIALLY APPROPRIATE THAT THE FIRST MEETING HAD BEEN AT 
NATO, GIVEN SLOVAKIA'S HARD WORK TO ENTER THE ALLIANCE AND 
THE SYMBOLIC IMPORTANCE IT CONVEYED OF OUR DEEP AND CLOSE 
OVERALL RELATIONSHIP.  HE EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR 
GASPAROVIC'S REMARKS THERE, ESPECIALLY ON ENHANCING DIALOGUE 
WITH UKRAINE AND RUSSIA AND SUPPORTING THE IRAQ DECLARATION. 
GASPAROVIC PRAISED THE TURKISH HOSTS' ORGANIZATION OF THE 
SUMMIT AND THE "TOTAL CONSENSUS" ON IRAQ, BUT CRITICIZED 
FRENCH PRESIDENT CHIRAC (AND TO A LESSER EXTENT GERMAN 
CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER) FOR PREVENTING AN "APPROPRIATE" TEXT ON 
AFGHANISTAN.  HE NOTED THE IMPORTANCE OF MOVING AHEAD WITH 
ELECTIONS THERE, AND SAID SLOVAKIA WAS CONSIDERING SENDING 
MORE TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN. 
 
3.  (C) EU MEMBERSHIP:  STATING "I'M NEITHER A EURO-SKEPTIC 
NOR A BOOSTER," GASPAROVIC EXPRESSED CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM ABOUT 
SLOVAKIA'S RECENT EU ENTRY, WHILE NOTING THAT "EUROPE CANNOT 
FUNCTION WITHOUT A STRONG TRANS-ATLANTIC LINK."  HE SAID HE 
WOULD TAKE A CAUTIOUS STANCE TOWARDS THE EU, "FROM THE 
ORDINARY CITIZENS' PERSPECTIVE", OF THEIR ECONOMIC 
    WELL-BEING.  HE INDIRECTLY CRITICIZED THE NOTION OF A 
TWO-SPEED EUROPE, POINTING TO THE UNFORTUNATE SLOVAK-CZECH 
EXPERIENCE OF UNEQUAL DEVELOPMENT AND EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT 
BRUSSELS "RED TAPE". 
 
4.  (C) RELATIONS WITH GOS: TURNING TO DOMESTIC ISSUES, 
GASPAROVIC OBSERVED THAT ONGOING ECONOMIC REFORMS ARE 
AFFECTING THE SLOVAK PEOPLE AND REQUIRE BETTER COORDINATION 
SO THAT NEGATIVE IMPACTS ARE CONSIDERED AND MITIGATED.  "I 
HOPE NOT TO FIGHT WITH THE GOS, BUT RATHER TALK WITH THEM AND 
FIND THE BEST SOLUTION FOR PEOPLE."  THIS PROCESS HAS ALREADY 
BEGUN IN THE FOREIGN POLICY ARENA -- HE HAS AGREED WITH PM 
DZURINDA AND PARLIAMENT SPEAKER HRUSOVSKY TO CONSULT AND 
COORDINATE "SO WE SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE."  (COMMENT: PM'S 
FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR CONFIRMED THIS ARRANGEMENT LATER IN 
THE DAY.  THIS IS WELCOME NEWS, ESPECIALLY IF HRUSOVSKY -- 
OFTEN LOOKING TO DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM DZURINDA -- GOES 
ALONG.)  GASPAROVIC SEEMED TO SUGGEST THAT HE HOPED TO PLAY 
AN "HONEST BROKER" ROLE WITH THE OFTEN QUARRELSOME COALITION, 
BUT NOTED THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO ENSURE EVERYONE SEES ENOUGH 
OF THEIR POSITION IN THE FINAL OUTCOME TO BE ABLE TO DECLARE 
VICTORY OR SATISFACTION.  SLOVAK POLITICAL PARTIES, HE SAID, 
NEED TO DEVELOP A GREATER SENSE OF NATIONAL GOOD OVER PARTY 
GOOD. 
 
5.  (C)  COMMENT:  GASPAROVIC WAS AT EASE AND RELAXED IN THIS 
FIRST MEETING, AND SEEMED GENUINELY INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING 
A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U.S.  HE READILY ACCEPTED AN 
INVITATION TO ATTEND THE EMBASSY'S INDEPENDENCE DAY 
CELEBRATION.  IT IS CLEAR FROM HIS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE 
COMMENTS THAT HE HAS TRIED TO SET A DIFFERENT TONE IN HIS 
    RELATIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT THAN HIS PREDECESSOR.  HE IS 
ASSERTING HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO ATTEND CABINET 
MEETINGS, BUT IS NOT ENGAGING IN COMPETITIVE DEBRIEFINGS OF 
THE PRESS OR PUBLIC DISPUTES OVER POLICY.  WE HAVE BEEN 
HEARING VERY POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM FOREIGN MINISTRY CONTACTS 
ABOUT BOTH HIS APPROACH TO ISSUES AND HIS HANDS-OFF APPROACH 
TO SENIOR APPOINTMENTS (WHICH HAD VEXED SLOVAK DIPLOMACY 
ABROAD UNDER FORMER PRESIDENT SCHUSTER).  HE HAS MADE A POINT 
OF LIMITING PERSONNEL CHANGES TO A FEW KEY ADVISORS, KEEPING 
ON THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE EXPERIENCED STAFF.  IT IS, OF 
COURSE, STILL EARLY DAYS -- STRAINS WITHIN THE COALITION AND 
ITS PARLIAMENTARY MINORITY AND THE STILL-UNCLEAR EXTENT OF 
HIS TIES TO OPPOSITION LEADER FICO MAY LEAD TO GREATER 
ASSERTIVENESS IN THE FUTURE. 
WEISER 
 
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