US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA1050

C O N F I D E N T I A L  BRATISLAVA 001050 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
FOR EUR/ERA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2014 
TAGS: PREL, LO, EUN 
SUBJECT: SLOVAK THOUGHTS ON UPCOMING GAERC MEETING 
 
REF: A. STATE 244333 
 
     B. STATE 247288 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Ronald Weiser for reason 1.4 (d). 
 
1. (SBU) DCM hosted lunch 11/15 for the MFA's "CFSP" team: 
Acting Director of the Division for European Affairs 
Frantisek Ruzicka, COREPER Director Anna Turinicova, and 
European Correspondent Lubomir Rehak.  They discussed the 
latest thinking on the China arms embargo, Turkish accession, 
and Cuba, among other issues.  On 11/16, poloff demarched 
Rehak on the GAERC agenda items described in reftel. 
 
2. (C) MEPP: Rehak agreed that Arafat's death presents new 
opportunities to reinvigorate the Middle East Peace Process. 
When told we hope EU governments will consider generous 
contributions to the IFC PEP-MENA Facility, he said, "I think 
they will." 
 
3. (C) China: Ruzicka expressed the opinion that we will get 
through the EU-China summit with the arms embargo intact. 
Many countries, Slovakia included, have expressed serious 
reservations about the still-undefined "toolbox" to 
strengthen the code of conduct.  However, momentum to lift 
the embargo is strong within the EU.  We will continue 
demarching top Slovak officials per ref B. 
 
4. (C) Kosovo: Rehak agreed that local 
government/decentralization was crucial, but the question is 
whether to allow "ethnic municipalities."  Slovakia thinks it 
would be appropriate to form such municipalities and to allow 
Serbs to govern themselves, noting however that every 
nationality represented in any muncipality must have the same 
rights.  He said Slovakia believes the EU must cooperate more 
closely with the U.S. on Kosovo, since the U.S. influence is 
very strong with the Albanians.  He praised the U.S. position 
on Macedonia as a "diplomatic and clever step of the U.S." 
and an example of why the EU should consult more with the 
U.S. on such issues.  Rehak added that it would be 
appropriate for the ICTY to try any indicted Albanians, 
because up to now only Serbs have been tried. 
 
5. (C) Belarus: Rehak agreed it would be most effective for 
the US and EU to coordinate possible negative actions against 
individuals in the Belarussian leadership, particularly the 
issue of whether to add Lukashenko to the list of those to be 
sanctioned.  Slovakia wants to intensify dialog with 
mid-level officials in government structures, many of whom 
will likely remain in government even when Lukashenko is 
gone.  Slovakia wants to avoid inflaming relations, which 
could result in even greater isolation of the citizens of 
Belarus.  For example, the Slovak MFA is providing a grant to 
a Slovak NGO working in Belarus to strengthen civil society 
and to get information out to the regions of Belarus.  A 
Slovak journalist misquoted an MFA official as characterizing 
this program's aim to "democratize" Belarus.  That misquote 
resulted in a demarche from the Belarussian ambassador in 
Bratislava, as well as the Slovak charge d'affaires being 
called into the MFA in Minsk for scolding.  In order to 
ensure that this important people-to-people program can 
continue, and that the Slovaks are not expelled from Belarus 
or prevented from traveling in the future, the MFA must tread 
carefully around the Belarussian government. 
 
6. (C) Cyprus Aid and Trade: Rehak said Cypriot efforts to 
block the aid and trade package for Turkish Cypriots would 
"probably only be resolved December 17." 
 
7. (C) Turkey: Foreign Minister Kukan visited Ankara November 
10-11, and then cut the official part of the visit short to 
fly with the Turkish PM to Yasser Arafat's funeral.  The MFA 
has drafted a position paper favoring the start of Turkish 
accession talks, though it is intentionally vague on setting 
the exact date and conditions under which to begin the talks, 
in order to give PM Dzurinda the mandate and the flexibility 
to adopt the common EU position on December 17.  Furthermore, 
it does not guarantee Turkish membership in the EU.  MFA 
officials are briefing Parliament November 19 about Kukan's 
visit to Turkey and the MFA position paper.  The paper has 
been submitted to the inter-ministerial process; the cabinet 
will discuss it November 24; it will go to Parliament for 
discussion by the EU Committee on November 29; and then will 
go to a plenary session of Parliament for approval. 
 
8. (C) Rehak told poloff 11/19 that the Austrian FM had 
dinner with Kukan "a couple days ago" and that they discussed 
Turkey.  However, there was "no special request" from Austria 
regarding Slovakia's position on the issue.  He also said 
that the MFA was watching the policies of other member states 
unfold, but that the Austrian opinion did not influence the 
Slovak position. 
 
WEISER 
 
 
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