US embassy cable - 05LJUBLJANA112

C O N F I D E N T I A L  LJUBLJANA 000112 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/NCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KPAL, IR, UP, MD, SU, CG, SR, BK, SI 
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA ON FEBRUARY 21 GAERC 
 
REF: SECSTATE 25111 
 
Classified By: COM Thomas B. Robertson Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 1.(C)  Summary.  Polecon Chief met with Mary Veronika Tovsak 
of the Department for European Integration on February 16 and 
discussed reftel points.  Of the items raised, Tovsak was 
most engaged on the topics of the Western Balkans, European 
Neighborhood policy, and the Sudan, where Tovsak said 
Slovenia supported use of the ICC rather than ICTR for trying 
war criminals.  On February 15, during a lunch hosted by DCM, 
Tovsak and her boss, Ambassador Marija Adanja, Director of 
the Department for European Integration, expressed cautious 
support for an EU presence in Baghdad.  End Summary. 
 
2. (C) BOSNIA/CROATIA: As we have seen in our GAERC 
discussions, the Balkans is an area where Slovenia has been 
able to define its interests. Tovsek expressed the GOS' 
strong support for HR Ashdown's work and the critical 
importance for cooperation with ICTY across the region. 
Acknowledging that Croatia's proven cooperation was important 
and the International Community (IC) had to be consistent, 
she seemed concerned that this would be the only and 
unavoidable obstacle to starting Croatia's EU accession talks. 
 
3. (C) KOSOVO: We have seen FM Rupel's engagement increase 
significantly on Kosovo both bilaterally and as CiO of the 
OSCE. According to Tovsak, FM Rupel is likely to speak on 
this topic at the February 21 GAERC.  She said the GOS agreed 
it was important to encourage the Kosovars to implement 
"standards" but the IC must start discussion of future 
"status."  Keeping in mind that certain principles are 
non-negotiable, i.e.  respect for minorities, maintenance of 
borders etc.  Postponing discussion of status, however, could 
provoke radical elements which would be very destabilizing. 
Tovsak said Rupel would be using his role as CiO to try to 
find a way to bring Serbs in Belgrade and in Kosovo, 
constructively, into the dialogue.  She also stressed this as 
an area of important trans-Atlantic cooperation, citing U.S. 
pressure on the Serbs as crucial. (Note. Tovsak suggested 
Kosovo would be a topic Rupel would want to raise with 
Secretary Rice in a future, as-yet-undetermined, meeting. End 
 
SIPDIS 
Note) 
 
4.(C)  SERBIA and MONTENEGRO:  Tovsak said it was important 
to get Serbia and Montenegro to cooperate fully with the ICTY 
and she thought the EU might need to think of incentives such 
as speeding up the feasibility study for the Stabilization 
and Assistance program.  Despite the complexity of this 
issue, Tovsak reiterated Slovenia's strong belief that 
resolution of war crimes issues was crucial for regional 
reconciliation. 
 
5. (C) EUROPEAN NEIGHBORHOOD/UKRAINE:  Tovsak said the GOS is 
on board with current EU plans of engagement with Ukraine. 
She added that when the time came, Slovenia would also 
support Ukraine's accession to the EU - but this was in the 
distant future.  She hoped Ukraine would see the current 
Action Plan as an "upgrade" in relations and that it would 
understand the need to make reforms before jumping to 
discussion of EU membership.  She thought that in a year they 
could upgrade to an "enhanced" agreement.  Acknowledging that 
the new leadership in Ukraine needed something concrete to 
show the voters, Tovsak hoped that Ukraine would have 
realistic expectations and would not promise the public more 
than the EU was able to give at this time.  She said it was 
important for Ukraine to understand it did not need to choose 
between Russia and the EU especially since it has historical 
links and market with Russia and CIS counties. Tovsak also 
said that Ukraine needed to be involved constructively in 
solving the Trans Nistrian problem. 
 
6. (SBU) MOLDOVA:  According to Tovsak, the EU is discussing 
the terms for an EU special representative to Moldova who 
would be in place after March elections, a move which 
Slovenia supports. 
 
7. (SBU) ICC/ICTR:  Slovenia supports the use of the ICC for 
trying war criminals from Sudan.  She suggested that the ICTR 
was created prior to the existence of the ICC, but now that 
the ICC existed, this is where these trials belong. 
 
8. (C) EU PRESENCE IN BAGHDAD:  In a lunch hosted by DCM on 
February 15, Director of the Department for European 
Integration, Ambassdor Marija Adanja, said that in prinicple, 
the EU was aware it needed to establish representation in 
Baghdad.  Adanja couched her support for this plan in the 
 
need for greater security first. 
ROBERTSON 
 
 
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 2005LJUBLJ00112 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL 


 
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