US embassy cable - 05PRAGUE135

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000135 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM, PREL, EZ 
SUBJECT: CZECH RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES 
INVITATIONS 
 
REF: (A) SECSTATE 15461 (B) PRAGUE 40 
 
1.  (U)  This cable is Sensitive But Unclassified; not for 
internet distribution. 
 
2.  (SBU)  Poloff met with Jan Kara, Director of the UN 
Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regarding the 
Czech Government's position on Haiti, Iraq, Singapore, and 
Taiwan inclusion into the Community of Democracies. 
According to Kara, the Czechs are supportive of observer 
status for Haiti and Iraq, though he mentioned again that it 
would be preferable to wait for the outcome of the elections 
in Iraq before making a final decision there.  Kara said that 
the Czech Republic is ready to be quite flexible on 
Singapore.  Comment:  The Czechs do not appear to have a 
strong position on Singapore.  End comment. 
 
3.  (SBU)  On Taiwan, however, though Kara agreed that 
inviting the Taiwanese as "guests" as outlined in ref A 
sounds like a good idea, he was anxious to tell Poloff that 
he had been contacted directly by a representative of the 
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office here in Prague, who had 
lobbied him strongly for the Czechs to support Taiwan as a 
participant.  Kara said that the representative, Mr. Ssu-tsun 
Shen, had been unaware of the guest status idea when they had 
spoken.  Kara hoped the USG would approach the Taiwanese 
directly to coordinate positions. 
CABANISS