US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA736

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000736 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KOLY, GR, LO, NATO 
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA POLITICAL ROUNDUP JULY 30, 2004 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
Slovak-Greek Arrangement for Olympic Security Assistance 
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1. (SBU) Miroslava Lihanova of the European Affairs and Foreign 
Relations Department at the Ministry of the Interior told poloff 
that Slovakia has responded positively to the Greek bilateral 
request for security assistance for the Olympics.  Throughout 
August, the Ministry of Interior Civil Defense Department will 
have six WMD experts and six alternates on reserve in Nitra, 
Slovakia.  The unit is equipped with two portable IR analyzers, 
laboratory equipment GC-MS, spectrophotometer UV-VIS, and Auer- 
toxometer.  The unit can deploy within twelve hours to Bratislava 
airport; the Greeks would be responsible for flying the unit to 
Athens.  If the Greeks cannot provide a plane, the Slovaks have 
one to use.  The GOS will pay the unit's salaries.  The unit can 
respond to WMD attacks involving exposure to radiation and 
chemical and toxic substances. 
 
Former Communist MP Seeks Mix of Minority Votes for New Party 
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3. (SBU) Controversial MP Herman Arvay, who left the Communist 
Party (KSS) at the end of last year, recently announced that he 
wants to represent minorities in Parliament.  Arvay told poloff 
that he is negotiating with members of the Jewish, Roma, 
immigrant, and gay communities to garner support and funding.  He 
hopes that his efforts to give minorities more political 
representation will be modeled throughout the European Union. 
 
4. (SBU) Arvay stated that cooperation with the ruling coalition 
is unlikely, since his close ties with gay activists contrast 
with the traditional ideology of the Christian Democrats (KDH) 
and conservative wings of the Slovak Democratic and Christian 
Union (SDKU) and Hungarian coalition (SMK).  SMK MP Laszlo Nagy, 
the chairman of the Human Rights Committee, expressed his 
personal opposition to Arvay's concept.  Arvay responded that 
coalition parties begrudge Arvay for taking away potential 
funding sources and voters. (Comment: Arvay's concept does not 
include any firm ideas or support for particular policies.  He 
claims he wants to elevate public consciousness about minority 
issues.  However, the groups he would like to represent do not 
have common interests or goals, so we expect little from this 
initiative.) 
 
WEISER 
 
 
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